A 53-year-old Universal City man is accused of pouring gasoline around a neighbor's house on Cibolo Trail and setting it ablaze while two people were inside, then telling investigators the fire was meant as a “scare tactic” tied to a long-running dispute. Daniel Navejar now faces a first-degree felony arson charge, and court records show a pattern of alleged fire-setting at the same address stretching back more than a week before the house fire itself.
According to arrest affidavits reported by KSAT, Navejar is accused of setting fire to two separate homes in the same neighborhood along the 900 block of Cibolo Trail within a 10-day span in March 2026 — starting with a vegetation fire on March 5 and followed by the house fire on March 14. As reported by WOAI, that March 14 fire broke out around 11:43 p.m. near Cibolo Trail and Pat Booker Road, and firefighters arriving on scene found flames burning along the outside of the house along with damage to the home.
Investigators told WOAI they noticed the smell of gasoline at the scene and observed what appeared to be a trail of fuel running from the fire-start area along the side of the house toward the backyard. They also found a burned patio chair cushion and an empty gas can near the front of the house, and ultimately concluded that gasoline had been deliberately poured around the home and then ignited.
Security Video Links Suspect to Both Fire Scenes
Investigators obtained surveillance video from a neighbor across the street the day after the March fire, according to the affidavit details reported by WOAI. That footage reportedly showed a person carrying a gas can walking through a gate into the home's backyard, then pouring liquid along the side of the house toward the front property before igniting it near the front of the home. The person seen in the video left the scene on a bicycle after the fire started, per the arrest report.
Separately, the affidavits cited by KSAT state that investigators detected gasoline residue outside both target homes on Cibolo Trail and obtained neighborhood security video capturing Navejar holding a gas can near both properties — tying him to the earlier March 5 vegetation fire as well as the March 14 house fire. Navejar lived near the home, and an officer reviewing the footage recognized similarities between the person in the video and Navejar, with investigators noting that his clothing and backpack resembled those seen in the surveillance footage.
Suspect Describes Fire as a “Scare Tactic”
Navejar was taken into custody the day after the fire in an unrelated case, according to WOAI, before later being formally booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on September 2 on two felony counts of arson. During questioning detailed in the arrest affidavits, Navejar allegedly told investigators he found the gas can in the backyard of the home and described an ongoing dispute with the home's resident and family.
Navejar reportedly told investigators, “Oh that fire was not going nowhere. It was a scare tactic,” and separately said, “I'm just going to do this little thing right here, just to get your attention.” He is also quoted asking investigators, “Do you know how quick you can burn down a house?” In statements described in the affidavits, Navejar claimed a resident at the March 14 target home had repeatedly harassed him and his family, framing the fire as retaliation rather than an attempt to destroy the house.
What Texas Law Says About Arson Charges
Because two people were inside the home during the March 14 fire, police say Navejar faces a first-degree felony arson charge. Under Section 28.02 of the Texas Penal Code, committing arson against a habitation or causing bodily injury is classified as a first-degree felony, carrying a potential sentence ranging from 5 to 99 years or life in prison, along with a fine of up to $10,000, according to FindLaw.
Cases like this one are typically built with help from the Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office, which operates a specialized Arson & Explosives Division staffed by commissioned Texas peace officers and ATF-certified accelerant-detection K-9 units handling origin-and-cause investigations across suburban Bexar County communities such as Universal City, according to Bexar County. Countywide juvenile arson referrals have actually declined sharply in recent years, dropping from 14 cases in 2022 to 5 in 2025, with just 1 referral recorded through July 2026, per the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department's monthly trend reporting.
A Second Major Fire Scare for Universal City
The allegations against Navejar land in a Universal City neighborhood still processing last year's massive Falcon Ridge apartment fire, which destroyed multiple units and displaced dozens of residents in December, prompting extensive municipal safety evaluations and community relief efforts. Universal City is a suburban municipality in northeast Bexar County situated next to Randolph Air Force Base, and it relies on municipal police alongside regional multi-jurisdictional task forces for emergency response.
The charges against Navejar remain allegations at this stage, and he has not been convicted of any crime in connection with either the March 5 vegetation fire or the March 14 house fire. He remains in custody at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center following his September 2 booking on the two felony arson counts.
