BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A man is accused of setting his own home on fire before launching an attack on a nearby residence that included a blowtorch, a knife and a cinder block, according to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
In a news release, the sheriff’s office said Jorge Medina Ibarra, 43, faces the following charges:
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- two counts of arson with intent to damage a habitation (first-degree felony)
- burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony (first-degree felony)
- aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (second-degree felony)
- two counts of assault causing bodily injury (Class A misdemeanor)
- criminal mischief worth between $750 and $2,500 (Class A misdemeanor)
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a fire at approximately 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at a shared residence in the 6400 block of Manda Drive, which is located in northeast Bexar County.
Ibarra had intentionally set fire to his own shared residence before leaving and approaching a separate home nearby, BCSO said.
Witnesses told the sheriff’s office that Ibarra used a blowtorch in an attempt to burn through a window of the second home. He then punched the same window “in an apparent effort to gain entry,” the news release said.
A resident exited the home and confronted Ibarra. However, BCSO said Ibarra chased the resident back into their home, attempted to force entry through the front door and allegedly threatened to kill the resident and their family.
Ibarra then picked up a cement cinder block and threw it through a child’s bedroom window, the sheriff’s office said. While the same resident tried to prevent Ibarra’s entry through the window, deputies said Ibarra “slashed the resident” with a knife on the back of their left arm.
One of the resident’s family members — a woman who lives nearby — attempted to remove the children from the area. When Ibarra saw the woman placing the children in a vehicle, investigators said he attacked her and “forcibly” slammed her head into the ground.
The woman suffered “visible lacerations” to the back of her head in addition to separate injuries to her face and back as a result of the assault, BCSO said.
Deputies later arrived on the scene and took Ibarra into custody, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said the stabbing victim was taken to a local hospital for further treatment. The other victims were evaluated and are expected to recover.
Ibarra was booked late Wednesday afternoon into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on a combined $268,000 bond for the seven total charges, court records show.
As of 12:30 p.m. Thursday, jail records show Ibarra remains in custody at the jail.
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