A Texas man is charged with murder in the death of his roommate, who was burned alive in a RV fire in Amarillo last week.
James (Jaime) Sosa was found dead on October 27 after firefighters extinguished the blaze in the early morning hours, KVII reported. Court documents indicated Sosa had been alive during the fire “due to soot deposits in his trachea and both airway paths to the lungs.”
The court documents said that 46-year-old Luis Angel Rico told arriving first responders he thought his roommate might be inside and that he had lit a candle. But investigators noted that he had soot on his hands and smelled of gasoline, although in an initial interview, he denied having anything to do with the fire.
Rico said that he’d been in the third-wheel trailer from 1 to 2:30 that morning while Sosa was in his room watching TV on his phone. He said he had been out and saw the smoke when he returned around 5 a.m. He said he turned around to go to a friend’s to call 911 but heard sirens and went back to the trailer.
Investigators, however, found “the presence of an accelerant on Rico’s right pants leg, right coat sleeve, and both shoes.”
Rico is being held in the Potter County Jail without bond, Law&Crime reported.
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[Featured image: Luis Angel Rico/Potter County Jail]
