A man has been arrested and charged in connection with a deadly house fire in Brownsville last September that left two people dead.
Authorities said Jorge Marin Calderin, 61, intentionally set multiple areas of the home on fire before claiming to be a victim.
Murder and arson charges
Calderin was arrested Monday and is facing two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of attempted felony murder and first-degree arson, court records show.
He appeared before a judge Tuesday and is being held without bond.
Investigators said they discovered gasoline had been poured over doors and frames throughout the house, except in Calderin’s room.
He initially told reporters and authorities he did not know what caused the fire, saying, “It’s five of us who lived in the house.”
Fire investigation and arrest
The fire broke out just after 3 a.m. on Sept. 27, 2024, at a home near NW 19th Avenue and NW 53rd Street.
Firefighters arrived to find the house engulfed in flames, with smoke pouring from the windows.
Inside, crews found a man and a woman unresponsive. Both were pulled from the home and rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where they later died from their injuries.
Neighbors recalled hearing loud noises before the fire erupted. One resident told CBS News Miami that she heard banging against the walls and people shouting.
Authorities initially questioned Calderin at the scene but did not arrest him at the time.
A cell phone video captured by a neighbor showed police placing him in a squad car shortly after the fire.
Following an extensive investigation by homicide and arson detectives, along with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, authorities determined the fire was intentionally set, leading to Calderin’s arrest.
Calderin remains in custody as the case moves forward.
