Albuquerque Police Search for Man Who Set Fire to Ex-Girlfriend’s Property and Accidentally Himself

Albuquerque police are searching for Artemio Sanchez-Ortega, who is accused of setting his ex-girlfriend’s property and himself on fire. Surveillance footage captured the incident, and the suspect remains at large.

Mexico, Bollywood Fever:  Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are actively searching for a man accused of setting fire to his ex-girlfriend’s property and accidentally igniting himself in the process.

Surveillance footage obtained by KOAT shows a man, identified as 46-year-old Artemio Sanchez-Ortega, approaching a residence with a gasoline can. He then jumped over the home’s fence, poured the gasoline over the cars in the driveway, and set it on fire.

In the process, the man also ignited himself. He was seen climbing back over the fence while engulfed in flames before fleeing the scene.

According to a criminal complaint, Albuquerque Fire Rescue was dispatched to the residence on May 14, 2014, where they found two vehicles in the driveway ablaze. The fire was reportedly “spreading to the residence.”

“During the time of the fire, there were multiple people in the home, including children,” investigators noted. “Examination of the scene revealed severe fire and heat damage to two of the three vehicles in the driveway, both of which appeared to be a total loss.”

Investigators also reported “an odor consistent with gasoline.”

The footage was shown to the owner of the home and vehicles, who identified the man in the video as her ex-boyfriend, Sanchez-Ortega. She mentioned that he “called her earlier in the evening and she could tell that he had been drinking.”

The woman informed the police that Sanchez-Ortega called her three times before the fire, but she did not answer.

Neighbor Daniel Provine, who provided the footage, told KOAT, “I made sure it was available to the investigators. The absurdity of seeing someone with such bitterness to light the fire and the ineptitude to get caught in flames, in the process— It was absolutely absurd and really unfortunate.”

Both the suspect’s ex-girlfriend and her children were unharmed in the incident. According to KOAT, Sanchez-Ortega is still on the run as of Saturday.

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