Tijuana municipal police arrested a 50-year-old woman on Saturday morning after she allegedly set fire to a home in the Urbi Villa del Prado housing development with a man trapped inside. The suspect, identified only as Gladis, was taken into custody minutes after the blaze began.
A 51-year-old man from the state of Sonora sustained burns across his body and was transported to Hospital General de Zona Río for treatment. His condition has not been publicly disclosed. Witnesses called police after seeing the fire erupt at the residence.
Firefighters Report Total Loss of Structure
Tijuana firefighters responded to the scene and reported total destruction of the home. The fire occurred near sports courts on Avenida De Los Volcanes, a main road in the Urbi Villa del Prado development in southern Tijuana.
Urbi Villa del Prado is a large planned residential community in the Presa Este area of the city. The neighborhood sits east of the Tijuana airport and south of the central urban core, in a part of the city that has grown rapidly over the past two decades with affordable housing developments.
Suspect Turned Over to State Prosecutors
Officers located Gladis near the sports courts on Avenida De Los Volcanes within minutes of the fire being reported. She was detained and turned over to the Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE), Baja California’s state attorney general’s office, which is now handling the investigation.
Under Baja California’s penal code, arson involving an occupied structure carries severe criminal penalties. The charge is treated more seriously than standard property damage because the act puts human life at direct risk. No additional suspects are being sought in connection with the incident.
The relationship between Gladis and the victim has not been disclosed by authorities. Police have not released a motive for the alleged arson.
This incident was first reported by Punto Norte on May 2.