A 43-year-old man is in custody after deputies say he set his own shared home on fire, then stormed a nearby house armed with a blowtorch, a knife and a cement cinder block on Wednesday morning in northeast Bexar County. Deputies responded around 7:30 a.m. to a residence in the 6400 block of Manda Drive and took the suspect into custody at the scene. One person was stabbed and taken to a hospital, and other victims were evaluated and are expected to recover.
Deputies: How the attack unfolded
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 43-year-old Jorge Medina Ibarra and said he intentionally set fire to his shared residence before walking to a nearby home and trying to burn through a window with a blowtorch. Witnesses told deputies that Ibarra punched at the window, chased a resident back inside and tried to force his way in, then picked up a cement cinder block and hurled it through a child’s bedroom window while slashing a resident on the back of the left arm.
A woman who tried to get children away from the chaos was allegedly slammed head-first into the ground and suffered visible lacerations. Investigators said the stabbing victim was taken to a local hospital and the other victims are expected to recover, according to KSAT.
Arrest, booking and bond
Deputies arrested Ibarra at the scene and he was later booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. Court records list a combined $268,000 bond tied to the charges stemming from the incident. Jail records show he remained in custody as of 12:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Bexar County Central Magistrate Search. Investigators say the case will be forwarded to prosecutors as they continue documenting damage and injuries.
What the charges mean
Authorities say Ibarra faces multiple counts that include arson and aggravated-assault-related allegations. Arson of a habitation is a serious offense under state law and can be prosecuted as a first-degree felony. The Texas Penal Code defines arson and the heightened penalties for fires that target habitations under Section 28.02, while aggravated assault and its typical penalty ranges are set out in Section 22.02. Any eventual punishment would depend on what prosecutors choose to file and what they can prove in court.
Arson cases and violent run-ins between neighbors have been drawing extra attention from investigators across the county this year, and deputies say they will keep gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses in the Manda Drive case. Similar arson-related arrests in the San Antonio area earlier this year highlight how quickly investigators move when fires threaten homes and families, according to reporting by KSAT. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the sheriff’s office.
