San Marcos Fire Marshall Jonathon Henderson speaks to reporters during a press conference. Credit: Facebook/ City of San Marcos TX – City Hall

During a Thursday morning press conference, authorities announced the arrest of a former Texas State undergrad accused of setting fire to a San Marcos apartment complex in 2018, a blaze that killed 5 people and injured another.

Despite a flurry of media questions, local, state and federal agencies involved in the investigation offered little insight into a possible motive, what type of accelerant was used and what new details emerged that helped them move ahead on the cold case.

“It was really predominantly based on the witness interviews we had at the time,” San Marcos fire Marshall Jonathon Ferguson told reporters. “There was no tip that came forward that provided new information. It was the task force and the original work by the ATF and state fire marshal’s office, the information they had that led to this arrest.”

Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson, 30, was arrested at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday on the 700 block of East Slaughter Lane in Austin without incident. Authorities said they believe he set fire to the Iconic Village Apartments in the early morning hours of July 20, 2018.

During Wednesday’s press conference,  Henderson said Ferguson, the recently arrested suspect, was an undergraduate student at Texas State and lived in the apartment complex at the time of the fire, but failed to elaborate on a possible motive, and specifics as to why they believe Ferguson is responsible.

Henderson said that a special task force composed of a conglomerate of local, state and federal agencies came together in October 2022 to provide a “fresh set of eyes” on the cold case. According to Henderson, no new evidence was brought to light during the recently relaunched investigation. Instead, authorities from agencies – including the Texas Rangers and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives – re-interviewed key witnesses. 

Henderson added that police interviewed the suspect during the initial investigation. However, Ferguson didn’t not stand out more than “anybody else,” according to Henderson.

Ferguson is being held at the Hays County Jail on charges of arson causing serious bodily injury or death — a first-degree felony.

Henderson said that officials don’t anticipate making further arrests in relation to the case.

The 2018 fire killed Dru Estes, 20, of San Antonio; Belinda Moats, 21, of Big Wells; James Phillip Miranda, 23, of Mount Pleasant; Haley Michele Frizzel, 19, of San Angelo; and David Angel Ortiz, 21, of Pasadena.

Zachary Sutterfield, now 25, of San Angelo, survived by jumping off a second-floor balcony. He suffered third-degree burns to 68% of his body and a traumatic brain injury.

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This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 11, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...