Affidavit: Man torched NE Side home, cars

Daniel Santillan, 42, allegedly threatened estranged wife before fire

SAN ANTONIO – A Northeast Side man is accused of setting fire to two cars and a home where his estranged wife was living after allegedly making threats to the woman.

Daniel Santillan, 42, was arrested Monday on a charge of arson.

The fires, in the 4300 block of Moana Drive, made news when they happened on Nov. 3.

An arrest warrant affidavit stated that one of the vehicles belong to Santillan's wife, while the other car and home belonged to her sister.

His wife told San Antonio Fire Department arson investigators that she had been staying with her sister and her family after moving out of the home that she shared with Santillan.

She said on Nov. 3, Santillan came to the home asking to borrow her car, but she refused.

Santillan then became enraged and made threats, telling his wife that she would be sorry and would pay for not letting him use her vehicle, the affidavit stated.

Later that night, someone set fire to his wife's car, which was parked on the street, as well as her sister's car in the driveway, the affidavit stated.

Her sister told investigators she noticed the car on fire in her driveway, then looked out the window and saw Santillan dousing the outside of her home with gasoline and setting it on fire, the affidavit stated.

Another person in the home also saw someone with tattoos reaching inside a window of the home and throwing a piece of burning paper into a bedroom, the affidavit stated.

She said she recognized the tattoos as belonging to Santillan, the affidavit stated. Records show he was booked into the Bexar County Jail with bond set at $100,000.


About the Author:

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.