A man sentenced to probation for setting fire to a Dallas restaurant this past March has already returned to the scene, banging on its doors despite a court order barring him from contact, according to the restaurant's owner. Jeneise Wood, who owns Sapor Bistro and Bar, says the return has left her rattled enough that she's now carrying her gun more often.
Probation Instead of Prison Time
David Oliver was sentenced to three years of probation on July 21 for the arson charge connected to the March fire that damaged Sapor Bistro and Bar, according to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. As part of that sentencing, court records show Oliver was also ordered to have no contact with the restaurant. Wood said five people in the building could have been killed the day of the fire, and that Oliver was nonetheless given three years of probation rather than prison time.
Despite the no-contact order, surveillance video shows Oliver returning to Sapor Bistro and Bar and banging on its doors, the station's report states. Wood said Oliver threatened to set the restaurant on fire again when he came back. Photos she shared showed damage to the restaurant's ceiling in several places from the earlier fire.
A Pattern of Trouble, Investigators Say
Dallas County court records show Oliver has faced 15 criminal cases since 2022, per the same account. Wood said Oliver started the first fire intentionally, and she also said he set a fire the same day at the neighboring restaurant Maple & Motor — a detail attributed to Wood and not independently confirmed elsewhere in the reporting.
An arrest affidavit says Oliver told investigators he heard voices telling him to do things, but he denied that the voices told him to start fires. He also denied involvement in the fires altogether, according to the affidavit. Investigators said they found a mini torch among his belongings.
Owner Pushes for Neighborhood Response
Wood said she hopes to meet with Dallas city leaders and nearby business owners to discuss addressing crime in the area. She said she would like community leaders to sit down and talk through ways to stop theft, crime and fires affecting local businesses.
Arson cases elsewhere in Texas have drawn federal attention as well. A Houston businessman was recently ordered to federal prison for conspiring to commit arson of a commercial building, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas. For Wood, though, the more immediate concern remains the man she says keeps coming back to her own front door.
