A Chimayó house was burglarized and burned in an apparent arson April 17 less than three weeks after another nearby home met the same fate, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.
A 2,500-square-foot adobe home on Camino Rio Chimayó was engulfed in smoke and flames when Chimayó volunteer Fire Chief Julian Sandoval responded to the scene April 17 around 3:30 p.m., according to a deputy’s report. A window was broken and the house had been ransacked, with dresser drawers open and items pulled out of the bathroom, the report states.
Sandoval said after the fire was suppressed, the back bedroom and bathroom of the house were completely destroyed by the blaze and the rest of the house had smoke and water damage.
Housesitter Bill Casiano approached the scene on foot while firefighters worked on it, the report states. Casiano said he was staying at the property while the homeowner, Mary Eastman, visited family in Texas. The house was in order when Casiano last saw it, the report states.
Eastman walked through the house and noticed a camera and its lenses were missing. Because of fire and water damage, Eastman wasn’t sure what else may have been taken.
Eastman told the deputy she had been burglarized two times previously.
Although the report states Sandoval said it appeared entry was forced through the front door, Sandoval said Tuesday that he believed the front door was locked when he arrived. The broken window could have been caused by the heat or by someone gaining entrance, he said.
Sandoval also responded to the April 3 suspected arson of Juan Vigil’s house on Rio Arriba County Road 89, when various electronics and valuables were taken before the house was set on fire. Sandoval said the scene at Eastman’s house was somewhat reminiscent of that crime scene, in the way things were thrown around inside the two houses.
“We’re looking at a possible connection, but it’s undetermined whether there actually is a connection,” Sheriff Greg Solano said.
No suspects have been arrested in either case. The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating both fires. Office spokesman Paul Carbajal did not provide any further information.