String of Arsons Concerns Residents of Bexar County, Texas Subdivision

Investigators say arson is suspected in a string of fires that has destroyed four unfinished homes and one newly constructed house all on the same block in a suburb of San Antonio, Texas.

A fire early Sunday in the Heritage Oaks subdivision of southern Bexar County spread from an unfinished home to a neighboring family’s home. The fire followed the torching of three unfinished homes on the same street this summer.

There were no injuries in the Oct. 22 blaze, but neighboring residents said the crime has gone too far.

“This isn’t a game anymore,” said Shannon Maris, who lives with her two daughters across the street from the targeted row of houses. “Whoever’s doing this knows what they’re doing. They enjoy what they’re doing. And now it’s personal.”

Chris Lopez, arson investigator for the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office, said criminal arsonists are sometimes attracted to striking in an area more than once. He said there were no leads in the case.

“Right now we don’t know what a motive would be,” Lopez said.

Monica Taub watched from the street with her husband and two young children early Sunday as wind-blown flames spread from the neighboring unfinished home and gutted her family’s house.

She said her family wasn’t notified of the street’s history of arson when they purchased the home.

“It would have made us think twice about buying the house,” she said.

Pulte Homes, the developer of the subdivision, said in a news release that it hired a security firm to patrol the area from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. seven days a week after the summer fires. Security officers were on duty and “all regular nightly procedures were followed” when the Sunday fire occurred, the release said.

Patty Spangler, vice president of operations for Pulte Homes, said the earlier arsons targeted only unsold homes under construction.

“This is kind of a new dynamic,” Spangler said.

The company is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case. It also plans to meet with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office to discuss how to prevent future arsons, the release said.

As for the Taub family, the developer said it is working with them to find alternative housing and assist in their move.

Information from: San Antonio Express-News, www.mysanantonio.com.