On October 10, the Austin Fire Department's Arson Division was summoned to extinguish and subsequently investigate two separate fires which have now led to the arrest of a single individual. According to the AFD's report, the first incident took place early in the morning behind a convenience store, where firefighters found a small fire that had begun to spread to the structure of the building. Surveillance footage from the scene captured a man, later identified as 42-year-old Ronald Sells, igniting debris and feeding it with cardboard.
A witness, who had previous encounters with Sells, confirmed that he had been caught shoplifting and was ousted from the same convenience store days earlier, on the October 6. This encounter lends context to the destructive actions that followed. The second fire occurred later that morning, in an open field in the 4100 block of Santiago Street. Firefighters arrived to discover another trash fire with Sells observed moving a tent away from the flames and in the process of changing his attire.
When interviewed by an AFD Investigator, Sells denied his involvement in the incidents. Despite his denials, the investigator found incriminating evidence, including a red t-shirt and black backpack that matched the apparel worn by the suspect in the store's video. A disposable lighter, casually disposed near a tent, was also noted in the investigator's observations. The consistency of evidence at both sites served to underpin the Arson Division's suspicion.
Subsequent to an arrest by the Austin Police Department on an unrelated outstanding warrant, Sells was brought to the convenience store so that witnesses could confirm his identity. Following confirmation, Sells was booked into the Travis County Jail. Now, he faces two counts of arson and one count of deadly conduct. The gravity of these charges is reflected in a bond set at $50,000, as Sells confronts the consequences of his alleged actions.
