Medina County Sheriff’s Office arrests 2 arson suspects in connection with multiple Aug. 2022 grass fires

MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – Two years after multiple grass fires sparked across Medina County, two arrests were made Friday in connection with the blazes.

The Medina County Sheriff’s Office said Martha Eugenia Caroline Day and Christopher Robert Castro, Jr. were taken into custody on suspicion of starting multiple grass fires across the county between Aug. 9, 2022, and Aug. 12, 2022.

Both Day and Castro were interviewed by authorities and admitted to starting some of the fires by using a lighter to ignite matches and then throwing the lit matches out of windows and onto patches of grass.

As those grass fires burned in Aug. 2022, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the fires along with assistance from the Bexar County Fire Marshal’s Office. At the time, Medina County deputies said nearly 20 grass fires may have been started on purpose.

While Day and Castro admitted to starting multiple fires in Medina County, Sheriff Randy Brown told KSAT on Friday that deputies are still investigating the exact number of fires they were responsible for.

The sheriff’s office arrested Day and Castro at their homes on Friday and they were booked into the Medina County jail on arson charges. Their bonds have been set at $50,000 apiece, county officials said.

Medina County deputies said this case remains under investigation.

More related coverage on KSAT:

• Authorities search for suspects after dozens of arson cases opened in multiple local counties