SAN ANTONIO -- A man is behind bars after arson investigators say he purposely started a fire inside his apartment.
Carlos Rene Tomasi, 38, is charged with felony arson. A witness told investigators he was in a community room at the apartment complex in the 400 block of Warren waiting to do laundry, when Tomasi ran in, completely naked, and started throwing the contents of a refrigerator onto the floor. According to the witness, Tomasi then unplugged the refrigerator and left the room but returned minutes later and dragged the refrigerator into his apartment.
The witness said he followed Tomasi outside to see what he was doing and saw smoke coming from Tomasi's apartment. He told investigators when he looked inside Tomasi's door, he saw Tomasi adding clothing to a fire, making it bigger. The witness said he then ran to a neighbor's apartment and told them to call 911. He told investigators as he was searching for a hose to help put out the fire, he saw Tomasi run out of the apartment fully clothed and leave the scene.
When arson investigators arrived, they said a large refrigerator was on its side in the middle of Tomasi's living room and the apartment was in "disarray." An arrest warrant affidavit states they also found a pile of clothes and debris that had been set on fire in the hallway near the kitchen and an empty bottle of lighter fluid on top of the clothing.
