SAN ANTONIO – A man was arrested after security camera footage allegedly showed him intentionally setting fire to a funeral home under construction, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Cody Engel, 41, was charged with arson with the intent to damage a habitation or place of worship, Bexar County jail records show.
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The fire was reported on Aug. 17 at a Mission Funeral under construction.
Investigators learned the fire was incendiary, meaning it ignited where it should not have, the affidavit stated.
The construction site manager provided investigators with security camera footage from that night, which showed Engel entering the fenced property around 8 p.m. Aug. 16 and remaining on site until around 4 a.m. Aug. 17.
The footage showed Engel walking around the property, attempting to enter the structure and allegedly vandalizing the area, according to the affidavit.
Investigators reviewing the footage said Engel then grabbed a metal cylindrical container and started a fire inside it, initially away from the building. Engel allegedly sat next to the burning barrel before moving it against the rear glass doors and underneath the building’s decorative carport.
The affidavit stated Engel added items to the fire and pushed it closer to the building before running away.
Days later, the affidavit stated construction site employees provided police with photos and videos of Engel, noting they had seen him walking around the area consistently.
On Saturday, a security camera company employee on site recognized Engel walking in the area and called 911. When police arrived and detained Engel, the affidavit states the employee identified him with “100% certainty” as the person seen in the security footage.
During questioning, investigators showed Engel pictures and video from the night of the fire. The affidavit states Engel acknowledged it looked like him in the footage but said he could not remember any details.
Engel was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on Saturday on a $75,000 bond, records show.
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