‘I turned it on,’ suspected serial arsonist told Fort Worth investigator about fire
Jose Bueno told investigators in July that he was in his Fort Worth apartment when he smelled something burning, according to court documents.
Bueno, who was the apartment complex assistant manager at the time, told police he went to investigate the source of the smell in another apartment and found a fire had already burned out but there was still smoke.
He called the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Since 2016, there have been seven fires at different places in North Texas and Arizona where Bueno worked or lived, according to a warrant.
The 22-year-old Haltom City man has been charged with two arson cases in Tarrant County — the July fire in Fort Worth and another apartment fire in Haltom City on Christmas night.
Arson investigators have not commented on a motive for the fires.
Bueno was arrested last month after being interviewed by arson investigators following the Haltom City fire.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram obtained the warrant on Wednesday related to the Fort Worth fire. The warrant, written by Detective M.W. May with the Fort Worth arson/bomb unit, gave this brief account:
At about 9 p.m. on July 28, Fort Worth firefighters responded to a blaze in a vacant apartment. The address was redacted from the warrant.
The fire was out by the time firefighters arrived, but they requested an arson investigator to the scene.
Investigator M.B. Sims noted there was evidence of fire at the base of the bar and determined someone had poured an unknown flammable liquid and set it on fire.
No fluid container was found.
Bueno was later interviewed because he had called 911 to report the fire.
The warrant noted Haltom City firefighters responded to another blaze about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 25. A mattress in a vacant apartment was set on fire.
Bueno, who also worked at the Haltom City apartment complex, was on scene at the Northern Cross Apartments in the 4200 block of Northern Cross Boulevard when firefighters arrived, Haltom City fire officials said.
No one was injured in the blaze, which was contained to an apartment bedroom.
Firefighters said heavy smoke was coming out of the apartment. They found that a sprinkler system had controlled the blaze and it was quickly extinguished.
Haltom City arson investigators determined Bueno was present at the scenes of several other blazes in the Fort Worth-Dallas area and often was the person who reported the fires.
On Jan. 6, arson investigators interviewed Bueno, and he confirmed there had been seven fires at different places where he had worked or lived near since 2016, the warrant says.
Initially, Bueno denied setting fires, according to the warrant. Eventually, Bueno admitted to the setting the two fires in Fort Worth and Haltom City.
“I turned it on,” Bueno told the investigator, according to the warrant. “I (expletive) up. I need help.”
But Bueno denied setting the other five fires.
The warrant noted these fires were part of the investigation:
▪ Chandler, Arizona; July 18, 2016; Bueno’s apartment.
▪ Colleyville, Texas; June 11, 2018; vacant unit.
▪ Colleyville, Texas; June 11, 2018; Second fire at this location.
▪ Fort Worth, Texas; July 28, 2019; vacant unit; Bueno worked and lived in complex.
▪ Arlington, Texas; Aug. 12, 2019; vacant unit; Bueno lived and worked in complex.
▪ Arlington, Texas; Aug. 15, 2019; vacant unit; Bueno lived and worked in complex.
▪ Haltom City, Texas, Dec. 25, 2019; vacant unit, Bueno lived and worked in complex.
Bueno remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Thursday in lieu of $130,821.10 bail.
In addition to the arson charges, he’s being held on traffic charges in Grand Prairie and Arlington.
