Man charged with attempted break in, arson at Maker’s Mark Distillery
A Texas man was arrested at Maker’s Mark in Loretto last week and it was the second time he’d been involved in an incident at the bourbon distillery in two years.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call from Maker’s Mark security about 10:05 a.m. Jan. 18. At the distillery property on Happy Hollow Lane deputies found Christian P. Douglas, 29, of Mesquite, Texas.
He’d been detained by security outside a bourbon warehouse after cutting a lock and had attempted to cut another lock, according to the sheriff’s office.
A propane torch also had been used to burn a rickhouse door.
Deputies found a bag with bolt cutters, propane torches, a sledgehammer and other tools and $9,000 in cash.
Marion County Sheriff Jimmy Clements said on Thursday confirmed that the incident happened at an older Maker’s Mark rickhouse where flammable barrels of bourbon are stored.
“That could have been very serious,” Clements said.
Maker’s Mark did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigation the incident. Clements said they don’t know of a motive at this point.
The Lebanon Enterprise first reported the arrest.
Douglas has been charged with third-degree attempted burglary, third-degree attempted arson, possession of burglary tools and third-degree criminal trespassing.
He has been released from the Marion County Detention Center on bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 30 at 9 a.m. in Marion District Court.
This isn’t the man’s first incident at the distillery. The sheriff’s office confirmed that on July 9, 2021, they received a call from the distillery that “a customer was on site and that he complained of being poisoned and talking out of his head.” That customer was Douglas.
Clements said Douglas was taken to the hospital for medical treatment at the time.
