Loose lips got two suspects arrested and charged with arson just one day after allegedly setting fire to an Española business, court documents state.
A plastic water bottle containing an accelerant left near the window of Box Pack Mail gave the State Fire Marshal’s office a reason to suspect the fire that consumed the business services store Aug. 19 was caused by arson, court documents state. A confidential informant told Española Police that Jonathan Ortiz, 18, of Chimayó, was bragging to his friends that he lit the business on fire, the documents state.
The informant provided unreleased details matching investigators’ findings about the fire’s ignition, stating Ortiz said he broke one of the store’s window, threw gas inside the business, located at Railroad Ave and Fairview Lane, and lit the fire.
Ortiz was asleep when Española Police detectives paid him a visit Aug. 20 at his Chimayo house. He was awakened and admitted to starting the fire, though he said it was his friend Ray Lopez’s idea, documents state.
Ortiz said Lopez broke a window on the business and used a water bottle to throw gas inside, after which Ortiz lit the gas with matches.
Lopez, 26, of Peñasco, also admitted to participating in the arson, documents state.
Both were held on $100,000 cash-only at Rio Arriba County Jail on identical counts of arson, tampering with evidence, conspiracy, and criminal damage to property over $1,000. Neither Lopez nor Ortiz have any prior criminal convictions, according to an online court records database.
Chief Deputy District Attorney A.J. Salazar said he has received a report on the case, but a third suspect is not mentioned.
Box Pack Mail owner Carole Pruett said Tuesday the arrests don’t change the devastation she and her husband and co-owner Art feel at the loss of their business, which they’ve operated here for 18 years. However, since the incident, the Pruetts have felt an outpouring of concern from their customers and the community in general, Carole Pruett said.
“We might run in Wal-Mart for just one thing and it takes about three hours to get out of there because so many people stop us and say they’re so sorry,” Pruett said.
Court documents do not reveal a motive in the case.
An Española Police press release states Lopez and Ortiz also confessed to burning a $100,000 mobile home in Arroyo Seco Aug. 18, but possible charges are pending approval by the District Attorney’s office in Santa Fe. No charges have been filed against the suspects for that suspected arson.
Ortiz and Lopez also implicated a third person as aiding in the Solitaire Mobile Homes fire, the release states. The 30-year-old male suspect’s name has not been released, as investigation into his alleged role is ongoing, Española Police Deputy Chief Larry Ham said Monday.
Because Española Police Det. Christian Lopez, who handled the investigation, is no longer permitted by Española Police policy to talk to media as of Aug. 22, details of that aspect of the investigation are currently unavailable. Española Police has also not made a copy of the original incident report for the case available for public inspection.
Last week, Española Police Sgt. Christian Lopez said an arrest was coming soon for a male suspected of starting the July Rancho de Chimayó fire and an Aug. 15 barn fire in Los Brazos. It is not known whether either Ortiz or Raymond Lopez are suspected of involvement in those two fires.
Curiously, a suspected attempted arson carried out in a similar way to the Box Pack Mail fire was investigated Monday, according to an Española Police report. The owner of Contemporary Concepts on Paseo de Oñate discovered a hole in the front window on the door to the business when he went to work in the morning, the report states.
A strong odor of gas permeated the business, and Española Fire Department determined it appeared the suspects poured a gas or solvent through the hole in the window and attempted to light it.
A book of matches was found on the floor inside the business and taken into evidence.
The initial report was forwarded to Española Police detectives. No arrests have been made in that case so far.