Federal prosecutors have stepped into a Bywater arson case that rattled a neighborhood and sidelined a beloved bakery’s delivery van. On March 25, 2026, a grand jury in New Orleans handed up a federal indictment tied to an early-morning fire spree on Jan. 19 that burned several vehicles, damaged a duplex and wiped out Bywater Bakery’s 2018 Dodge Caravan. While investigators and lawyers build the federal case, neighbors and bakery staff have been doing what they can to keep the ovens hot and the business running.
Federal indictment
According to NOLA.com, a federal grand jury charged 35-year-old Kyle Thomsen with arson of property used in interstate commerce in connection with the January Bywater fires. The count zeroes in on the bakery’s delivery van as part of the alleged crime and follows a referral from local prosecutors to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Moving the case into federal court raises the potential penalties and shifts the legal fight out of state criminal court.
State arrest and custody
Local reporting states that Thomsen was arrested on Jan. 20 while working behind the bar at the Old Absinthe House in the French Quarter and has been held without bond since. According to WDSU, the arrest came as investigators were still combing through evidence from multiple vehicle fires across the Bywater. Police initially booked Thomsen on state arson charges while the broader probe continued.
Bakery and neighborhood response
The bakery’s delivery van was a casualty of the blaze, but the neighborhood did not wait around for the insurance paperwork. Community members quickly turned the shop into a hub for cold-weather donations, and volunteers pitched in to help secure a replacement vehicle. WVUE reported that the bakery’s co-owner called the support a powerful reminder of Bywater’s resilience. With a new van in place, the owners say they can keep deliveries on track during Carnival season.
How investigators say it unfolded
Investigators told prosecutors that home security footage showed a man moving from car to car, slipping into unlocked vehicles and setting fires from the inside. They say they then used Project NOLA’s camera network to follow the suspect’s movements to his workplace, which led to the Jan. 20 arrest. The indictment and accounts from fire officials describe fires set along Montegut, Dauphine and Desire streets and allege that a duplex in the 3100 block of Dauphine was torched. Four people inside escaped without serious injury, according to NOLA.com.
Legal implications
The indictment relies on the federal arson statute, 18 U.S.C. § 844(i), which covers “any building, vehicle, or other ... property used in interstate or foreign commerce” and carries a prison term of at least five years and up to 20 years. How the court interprets the requirement that the property be “used in commerce” will be a key legal question in the case. The full statute is available through the Legal Information Institute. A federal prosecution also brings a different set of discovery rules and sentencing procedures than the original state charges.
What's next
With the indictment filed, the case now moves through the federal system, though prosecutors have not yet set a date for arraignment or trial. For the moment, Thomsen remains in custody while local and federal authorities continue their joint investigation and prepare for the next round of court proceedings, according to WDSU.
