Fire Innocently Caused by Making Homemade Tortillas or Arson? Miami-Dade Police Investigate Potential Arson Fire Started by Couple Claiming Kitchen Fire

Charges have been filed against a couple who is under investigation by the Miami-Dade police for their alleged role in an arson fire that they say was innocently started by a mistake in the kitchen. According to local news reports, Florida City, Florida couple Erick Turrubiates and Auren Martinez Castillo are facing criminal charges for allegedly starting a house fire, then filing a “hefty” insurance claim with Citizens Insurance.

The potential crime of arson allegedly occurred last winter on December 29. On that day, Turrubiates and Castillo reported a house fire at their home in the 800 block of Southwest Seventh Terrace in Florida City. Turribiates allegedly claimed that he “left tortillas on the stove when he went to the bathroom to defecate.” While Turrubiates was on the toilet, police reveal, he states that he smelled something burning, but he did not investigate. Turrubiates and Castillo ultimately filed a $53,998 insurance claim for the damage as a result from the fire, claiming that the tortilla fire caused damage to their “kitchen cabinets, backsplash, kitchen wall and ceiling.”

A third person is reportedly involved in the alleged arson incident, 41-year-old insurance adjuster Yoan Gonzalez, who investigators say is “at large.” The alleged ruse was eventually revealed to Citizens Insurance investigators when they investigated the couple’s insurance claim. The insurance report concluded that the Citizens investigator “deemed this fire to be incendiary and ruled out any possibility of an accidental fire, noting numerous inconsistent fire patterns on the backsplash, upper mounted cabinets, wall and ceiling, which could only have happened through human intervention and were purposely done.” Police and authorities looking into the case now believe that an “open flame device” was used to start the fire, and not a burning tortilla. As of Wednesday, November 13, the couple was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $25,000 bond.

What is Arson in Miami Under Florida Criminal Laws?

In light of the recent alleged arson incident in Florida City, it is important for Miami residents to understand what exactly the crime of arson is. Under Florida criminal laws, “Any person who willfully and unlawfully, or while in the commission of any felony, by fire or explosion, damages or causes to be damaged…Any dwelling, whether occupied or not, or its contents; Any structure, or contents thereof, where persons are normally present, such as: jails, prisons, or detention centers; hospitals, nursing homes, or other health care facilities; department stores, office buildings, business establishments, churches, or educational institutions during normal hours of occupancy; or other similar structures; or Any other structure that he or she knew or had reasonable grounds to believe was occupied by a human being, is guilty of arson in the first degree…” Importantly, arson is a felony of the first degree. Accordingly, it is important for Miami residents charged with arson to seek legal help as soon as possible.

If you are in the Miami area and you were charged with the crime of arson, do not hesitate to speak with an experienced Miami arson attorney as soon as possible. The experienced Miami arson attorneys at AsiliA Law Firm are here to help those charged with arson in Miami get justice. Contact the experienced lawyers at AsiliA Law Firm and speak to a lawyer about your case now.

Source:

local10.com/news/local/2024/11/20/florida-city-couple-claimed-tortillas-started-kitchen-fire-but-cops-say-it-was-arson-and-fraud/