SAN ANTONIO — Two people, a man and a woman, who San Antonio investigators say are responsible for a pair of east-side fires in May have been arrested on arson charges.
Katheryn Bassaignana, 34, was charged in connection with the investigation of a blaze at the Friedrich building on East Commerce Street. Cruz Rivas, 37, was charged for the fire at 901 East Crockett Street.
The Freidrich building is just a few feet away from IDEA Carver campus, where school personnel worked quickly during the time of the fire to move students away from the scene.
The Friedrich building was the scene of several fires back in March when Pete Alanis, executive director for the San Antonio Housing Trust, said he requested an emergency demolition order from federal housing officials. At the time a fire spokesman said they would continue to investigate the potential of arson.
The Friedrich building area is also the site of a redevelopment plan, which has been stalled for years, calls for a number of buildings on the old campus on the 1600 block of East Commerce to be demolished and replaced with new multi-family housing.
The fire on East Crockett Street was from a two-story vacant house where the San Antonio Fire Department told KENS 5 that the home was a "total loss." Heat also caused the grass across the street to catch on fire.
The investigation into any additional fires is ongoing.
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