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Arrest made after body found at north-side apartment fire

Officials responded to a reported fire at about 6:45 p.m. Monday at an apartment complex on Jones Maltsberger Road.

A 20-year-old man was arrested and faces several charges after a body was found at the scene of a fire on the north side Monday night.

Ernesto Esquivel-Garcia is charged with murder, arson and abuse of a corpse. Police say he set the body on fire at an apartment. ICE has confirmed there is an immigration hold on Garcia, which indicates that he is in the country illegally.

Firefighters responded to the fire at an apartment in the 7900 block of Jones Maltsberger Road at about 7 p.m. Monday. That’s just north of The Quarry and west of Highway 281.

After extinguishing a small fire, one victim was located, officials said. The body was too badly burned to determine the person's age, ethnicity or gender. The apartment appeared to be vacant, with no one living there, officials said.

Another element of the scene is the family of missing Jared Vargas, who is 20 years old, was there. He hasn't been seen or heard from since Saturday. According to the family, his car was found at the scene. As of Tuesday morning, the body had not been identified, according to police. San Antonio police are investigating his disappearance as a missing persons case.

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