A man has been arrested after a tense standoff with San Antonio police, which concluded with him barricading himself inside a West Side house and attempting to start a fire. This incident occurred on the 1300 block of West Houston Street late Saturday night, details of which have been provided by KSAT and MySA.
According to KSAT, the suspect, 40-year-old Joe Cantu, allegedly threatened a relative with a knife and tried to quickly set fire to the residence. Police were reportedly alerted to the situation by a female relative who had managed to escape from the home with other occupants before calling for help.
The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) set up a perimeter as Cantu broke out windows and used furniture to barricade himself inside the building. As reported by MySA, officers waited on SWAT's arrival, trying continuously to make contact with Cantu during the barricade.
It was nearly 2 a.m. on Sunday when officers observed Cantu set fire to some curtains with a torch from within the house. They subsequently entered to arrest Cantu and extinguish the flames, as KSAT stated. After being taken into custody, Cantu has been charged with making terroristic threats against family members and committing arson within a habitation.
Following the incident, arson investigators were called to the scene. Cantu is now being held at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, which is in close proximity to the site of the alleged offenses. The SAPD has yet to release further details on the motivations behind Cantu's actions or the condition of the home post-arrest.
