TORRINGTON, Conn. — A man, with whom police in Torrington police are very familiar, is being held on $500,000 bond tonight as a result of three fires police say he set Wednesday afternoon. And, the prosecuting State’s Attorney said she had a front row seat for one of the fires.
36-year-old Jose Castillo, of Torrington, was arraigned Thursday on three counts of arson. In addition to the two houses, police say he also set a car in his driveway on fire Wednesday.
A FOX61 viewer shared startling video of the first fire, which was called in just before 2 pm, as 403 Torringford West Street quickly went up in flames. Police say Castillo admitted to starting it on his own kitchen table.
"The neighbors were so concerned that there were people trapped in the house that the firefighters went into the house in order to save anyone who might have been trapped," said Attorney Dawn Gallo, the Litchfield State's Attorney.
45 minutes after the call for services to Torringford West Street, a fire in Castillo's parents house, at 50-52 Clark Street, was called in. And police say he admitted to starting this fire, as well. The Litchfield State's Attorney says she watched the house burn from her office.
"It developed very rapidly and the risk a potential death to that man, who was inside, was extraordinary," Gallo said.
A short time after arriving at the second fire, police caught up with Castillo on East Elm Street, where things could have gotten much worse.
"Mr. Castillo told the police that he had contemplated burning his "baby mama's" house down, but saw his children at the pool area and decided not to do that," said Gallo.
Castillo also has three pending cases, including two alleged assaults on officers.
"Mr. Castillo was wildly resisting arrest biting one officer and causing injury to the other officers hand in the court of while threatening to kill them and shouting epithets," Gallo said.
During his arraignment, it was noted that, for the past week and a half, Castillo had not been taking some medicine prescribed for his mental health.