Two arrests have now been made in last week’s explosion and fire at the Pine Harbour apartment complex in Goose Creek.
39-year-old Shonni Segrest Abernathy was arrested Wednesday night. 33-year-old Gerald Edward McCabe was also arrested. Both men are charged with attempting to manufacture methamphetamines. The two were also charged with exposing a child to meth-making materials.
Berkeley County Sheriff’s deputies say they found the remains of a meth lab in the ruins of the building. While they have not given an official cause for the fire, several witnesses reported hearing an explosion shortly before the fire began.
Abernathy is the father of Morgan Abernathy– a 19-year-old who was one of three people killed in the fire. Morgan Abernathy was babysitting 4-year-old Samuel Garbe at the time. Garbe also died in the explosion. 69-year-old Joseph Raeth’s body was found in a neighboring apartment.
That fire killed three and gutted at least 16 apartments.
Sheree Bernardi of Charleston affiliate WTMA contributed to this report
