A 38-year-old Aurora man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of starting a massive fire that destroyed a partially built apartment complex along Leetsdale Drive in Denver, city officials said.
Tony Becerra was seen on surveillance footage entering and leaving the area shortly before the building caught fire on Jan. 2, the Denver Fire Department said in a news release Wednesday.
The five-alarm fire burned for several days and torched the length of the city block, with fire officials describing it was the worst fire Denver crews have fought in at least 30 years.
Initial 911 callers reported the person who entered the building was homeless, but Denver fire officials said that is not the case.
The fire was first reported at 6:45 p.m. Jan. 2 at Harker Heights apartments at 5337 Leetsdale Drive, a 283-unit complex scheduled to open this year.
Flames quickly consumed the property, about the size of four football fields.
The heat of the fire melted siding and shattered windows of several nearby homes as more than 100 firefighters pumped millions of gallons of water on the blaze.
Denver fire investigators worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ national response team on the case, which allowed for the quick collection of evidence and a faster arrest, department officials said.
The case is still under investigation.
Becerra initially was booked into the Aurora Detention Center but was being held at Denver’s Downtown Detention Center as of Wednesday night.
He was arrested on suspicion of first-, second- and fourth-degree arson, jail records show. Formal charges will be filed at a court hearing.
He is set to appear in court Thursday morning.
Becerra’s previous convictions include a 2020 domestic violence assault case out of Arapahoe County, according to court records.
He initially was charged with second-degree felony assault involving strangulation and misdemeanor third-degree assault, but those charges were dismissed after he pleaded guilty to felony attempted trespassing.
He was sentenced to two years in and 90 days in jail, with credit for time served.
