AMARILLO, TX - Authorities announced that a Texas man is now in jail after allegedly setting his roommate on fire while he was still alive. The alleged suspect, Luis Angel Rico has since been charged with murder.
The Amarillo Police Department (APD) began its investigation on October 27, after first responders arrived at a fire at an Amarillo trailer park. Upon arriving on scene at 4:53 a.m., officers found an RV trailer completely engulfed in flames, Law & Crime reported. After neighbors were evacuated and the fire was put out, firefighters discovered a dead body inside the trailer.
Witnesses reportedly told police that they saw someone walking away from the trailer right before they saw the smoke. Police later identified the man found dead inside the trailer as 46-year-old James Sosa. According to a criminal complaint obtained by KVII, an autopsy revealed "soot deposits in his trachea and both airway paths to the lungs," which proved he was alive during the fire.
Later in the day on October 27, police spoke to Rico, 46, who came back to the scene of the fire that engulfed the trailer he lived in with Sosa, his roommate. Police said that Rico told them Sosa was watching TV on his phone when he last saw him in the trailer between 1:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. He told police that Sosa was also burning a candle.
According to the complaint, Rico said he saw smoke coming from the direction of the trailer when he was in another location nearby. He told police that he thought Sosa might still be inside the trailer. When he was back to the trailer and saw it on fire, he told police he went to call 911, but already heard the sirens of first responders.
Rico was then questioned by police. He denied any involvement in the fire. However, police said that Rico smelled like gasoline and had soot on his hands. After finding four fentanyl tablets in his pockets, police arrested Rico and charged him with drug possession.
Further investigation by the fire marshal's office revealed that there was a "presence of an accelerant on Rico's right pants leg, right coat sleeve, and both shoes." Rico was then charged with murder and is accused of setting Sosa on fire while he was still alive. Rico was booked into the Potter County Jail where he is being held without bond.
The Amarillo Police Department (APD) began its investigation on October 27, after first responders arrived at a fire at an Amarillo trailer park. Upon arriving on scene at 4:53 a.m., officers found an RV trailer completely engulfed in flames, Law & Crime reported. After neighbors were evacuated and the fire was put out, firefighters discovered a dead body inside the trailer.
Witnesses reportedly told police that they saw someone walking away from the trailer right before they saw the smoke. Police later identified the man found dead inside the trailer as 46-year-old James Sosa. According to a criminal complaint obtained by KVII, an autopsy revealed "soot deposits in his trachea and both airway paths to the lungs," which proved he was alive during the fire.
Later in the day on October 27, police spoke to Rico, 46, who came back to the scene of the fire that engulfed the trailer he lived in with Sosa, his roommate. Police said that Rico told them Sosa was watching TV on his phone when he last saw him in the trailer between 1:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. He told police that Sosa was also burning a candle.
According to the complaint, Rico said he saw smoke coming from the direction of the trailer when he was in another location nearby. He told police that he thought Sosa might still be inside the trailer. When he was back to the trailer and saw it on fire, he told police he went to call 911, but already heard the sirens of first responders.
Rico was then questioned by police. He denied any involvement in the fire. However, police said that Rico smelled like gasoline and had soot on his hands. After finding four fentanyl tablets in his pockets, police arrested Rico and charged him with drug possession.
Further investigation by the fire marshal's office revealed that there was a "presence of an accelerant on Rico's right pants leg, right coat sleeve, and both shoes." Rico was then charged with murder and is accused of setting Sosa on fire while he was still alive. Rico was booked into the Potter County Jail where he is being held without bond.
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