A Miami-Dade man has been arrested and charged in connection with a deadly residential fire in Brownsville from last fall that killed two people. Jorge Marin Calderin, 61, was taken into custody on Monday on charges including second-degree murder and first-degree arson. The fire occurred early on September 27, 2024, with emergency responders finding two unresponsive victims inside the home.
According to NBC Miami, crews arrived to find the house on fire and rescued both individuals, later identified as 29-year-old Amaury Aguilera Ramos and 58-year-old Barbara Tamayo Guerrero. Both victims died from their injuries after being transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center. A neighbor recalled loud noises and shouting before the fire.
An arrest warrant revealed that Calderin initially denied responsibility for the fire, claiming it was caused by someone else. However, further investigation showed Calderin had left the home with personal items and his sweater tested positive for gasoline.
Investigators found that accelerant had been spread on the doors and frames of the house, but not in Calderin's room, as reported by CBS News.
The warrant stated, "Marin Calderin was the only occupant who exited the home fully dressed, with keys, phone, wallet, and religious artifacts in hand," as noted in a report by NBC Miami. Calderin had burns on his back and hands, which he said were from escaping burning mattresses in the hallway and trying to put out the flames on his clothes, but investigators could not confirm his claims.
Calderin is being held without bond after court appearance yesterday, where a public defender was appointed to him.
