SAN ANTONIO – A suspect barricaded himself inside a West Side home, threatened a family member with a knife and attempted to set the home on fire, San Antonio police said.
SAPD was called to the home just after 11 p.m. Saturday in the 1300 block of West Houston Street. A female relative of the suspect told a responding officer that a man was inside the home making threats while armed with a knife.
The woman and other people inside the home fled the home before calling the police, SAPD said.
Officers said they set up a perimeter around the home while the suspect broke windows out and barricaded himself inside.
Nearly three hours later, around 2 a.m. Sunday, officers saw the suspect set fire to some curtains with a torch.
When officers entered the home, they took the suspect into custody and extinguished the fire inside the home with multiple fire extinguishers.
Arson investigators were notified, police said.
The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Joe Cantu, was booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, which is located less than one-half mile from the home.
In this case, authorities said Cantu has been charged with making terroristic threats against family members and committing arson within a habitation.