El Paso Man Sentenced In Malicious Destruction Of A Building

In El Paso yesterday, 22-year-old Kevin Rodriguez was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution for his role in maliciously causing destruction to the Coronado Tower Building announced United States Attorney Robert Pitman and Special Agent in Charge Robert R. Champion, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Dallas Field Division.

According to court records, in April 2013, Rodriguez caused a fire to be started in the Coronado Tower Building located at 6006 North Mesa in El Paso.  An individual working in the building saw Rodriguez in close proximity to the fire and started chasing Rodriguez.  Rodriguez fled from the building and was shortly apprehended by a chef at a restaurant located in the Coronado Towers.  Rodriguez was then placed in police custody.

In July 2014, Rodriguez pled guilty to one count of maliciously damaging a building and admitted he started the fire using tissue and a lighter.  The fire caused some tenants of the building to close their business or to relocate to other offices in the building.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Investigators from the El Paso Fire Department Arson Unit.