McAllen police believe a 33-year-old man lit a car on fire and started another blaze at a home during two separate incidents.
Daniel Eduardo Rivera, of McAllen, was arrested March 31 in the latest case in which he is accused of starting a fire at a house. He was previously charged for an Oct. 19 incident in which he’s accused of starting a car fire in the McAllen Public Library parking lot.
In the latest case, police responded to the 400 block of 16th St. at 1:12 p.m. March 31 after a property tenant saw a person light his home on fire, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The tenant was able to put out the fire before the fire department arrived and told an arson investigator that the suspect was wearing camo pants and a long-sleeve shirt and had a backpack.
The investigator found Rivera in someone’s yard and waited for backup before taking him into custody, according to the affidavit.
Police interviewed two other people who lived at the house, one of whom said he saw a person pass in front of his screen patio door, but didn’t see anyone when he went outside.
The witness did see a fire burning on the side of the house.
After Rivera’s arrest, the witness told police that Rivera actually came by his business prior to the fire and that they spoke, police say.
During that conversation, the man said he saw Rivera shuffling and pulling items out of his backpack, including WD40 and motor oil – items which were found and documented at the fire scene, according to the affidavit.
The witness also said that he yelled at Rivera when he saw him in his backyard near the area of the fire before he noticed the fire, according to the affidavit.
The previous arson accusation occurred at 2:41 a.m. Oct. 19 in the parking lot of the McAllen Public Library, where police responded to a report of a vehicle on fire and found evidence of potential arson, according to that affidavit.
The two women who reported the fire told police they were on their way home and cutting through the parking lot when they noticed the fire.
“They made their way by the location, and as they approached, they noticed a vehicle on fire and a man standing near the west side main entrance stop sign and intersection within the parking lot in close proximity of the vehicle,” the affidavit said.
After the fire was extinguished, arson investigators found a rag stuffed in the fuel neck of the gas tank and a one-gallon O’Reilly motor oil container on the vehicle’s roof, the affidavit said.
While police were investigating, they say Rivera walked up to them and told police he was waiting for a friend to pick him up.
The officer told Rivera he matched the suspect’s description and police said in the affidavit that he gave them permission to search his bag, which is where officers found drug paraphernalia and several lighters.
During an interview, police said Rivera spoke about putting the rag in the fuel neck, lighting it and using one of the lighters found in his bag to start the fire.
He also told police about the two women, whom he recognized as his neighbors, according to the affidavit.
“Mr. Rivera had knowledge of how the fire started that would not have been possible without 1st hand account,” the affidavit said.
He remained jailed Wednesday on a total of $55,000 in bonds, with a $50,000 bond for his latest arrest.
