Owner of defunct San Marcos pet cremation business arrested on suspicion of grand theft

The owner of a now-defunct pet crematorium in San Marcos has been arrested on suspicion of grand theft after customers complained they gave the owner their pets and money but were never provided cremains.

Christopher Settle, 39, was taken into custody on Tuesday outside his Temecula home by sheriff’s deputies serving an arrest warrant, sheriff’s Sgt. Agustin Rosas said in a news release.

Investigators said Settle had operated his business “without the legal or physical ability to complete orders customers paid for,” noting that gas and electricity were cut off in July and his permit to operate the incinerator expired in March 2024.

Settle was the owner of Angel Paws Cremation, which operated out of a business park on Pacific Street, until he was evicted in November after he stopped paying rent. Neighbors complained of odors emanating from the business after some animals in freezers were allowed to defrost, and in September, the city of San Marcos got a court order to enter the premises and hired a contractor to clean up the biohazard.

On Tuesday, Settle was booked into the Vista jail. He was released on bail and is expected to be arraigned next Wednesday. He could not be reached for comment.

Customers began noticing problems with the business in late summer when their messages went unreturned. Some...