A man in Miami-Dade County, Florida, is facing multiple felony charges after stealing his estranged wife’s dog and torching her apartment, which she shared with a friend, WLPG Local 10 News reports.
According to the police report, the incident happened Sunday, Dec. 10, shortly after 1:00 a.m. Hialeah Gardens Police officers arrested the man — 32-year-old Roisel Valdes Cuello — on Monday, Dec. 11. Authorities charged him with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of first-degree arson, and one count of burglary. He was also charged with two counts of criminal mischief.
Cuello’s estranged wife, who confirmed neither she nor her friend were home at the time of the fire, told authorities her ex-husband had previously demanded to have the dog. Surveillance footage captured Cuello sneaking into the apartment and leaving moments later while carrying the canine under his right arm.
By the time Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived at the burning residence, they found the blaze had spread to a neighboring unit. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
Commenting on her stolen dog’s whereabouts, Cuello’s distressed ex-wife told NBC 6 News she still doesn’t know where the dog is.
Cuello denies involvement in fire and theft of dog
Investigations revealed that Cuello strategically set the fire. He specifically ignited his ex-wife’s bedroom closets and her living room couch before the apartment went up in flames.
When authorities took him into custody, he refuted being responsible for the fire and stealing the dog. Nevertheless, he was held in jail on a $111,000 bond.
Cuello’s estranged wife was present during his bond hearing. She told the court that she feared for her life, which is why she moved in with her friend. The judge released Cuello on bond and prohibited him from going anywhere near his ex-wife. As of now, he remains under house arrest.
