Family said man who allegedly set five-alarm Denver fire "sees and hears things ... has mental condition"
The 38-year-old Aurora man jailed for investigation of arson for allegedly setting a five-alarm fire in Denver in early January "sees and hears things ... he has a mental condition," according to his sister. Tony Becerra's sibling was quoted by Aurora police in a 2020 police report obtained by CBS News.
In another arrest report from Denver in 2025, Becerra was sent to an area hospital due to what first responders called "psych issues he was exhibiting."
The Denver Fire Department announced that Becerra was arrested on Jan. 13 for the fire that destroyed the Harker Heights apartment complex, which was under construction. The blaze started on Jan. 2 and it took days to fully extinguish the flames. Fire investigators have not revealed publicly what they believe a motive might have been for the suspected arson.
But police documents connected to two previous arrests for Becerra indicate suspected mental issues, and also raise questions about whether Becerra was homeless.
Following his arrest, the Denver Fire Department said an initial 911 call about the fire "inaccurately described (Becerra) as experiencing homelessness."
But in February of 2025, Becerra was arrested for suspected shoplifting from a grocery store in southeast Denver. On the citation obtained by CBS, police characterized Becerra as "transient" and provided no home address for Becerra. The report says when Becerra was in the store, he was noticed "due to erratic behaviors." The report notes Becerra was transported to a nearby hospital "due to psych issues he was exhibiting."
In 2020, Aurora police arrested Becerra for assault. In the course of the police investigation, they spoke to Becerra's sister, who told officers her brother was "having erratic behavior and frequent sudden mood changes. She advised that he sees and hears things and that she believes he has a mental condition," according to the police document.
The Aurora police document goes on to note that "Tony does not have a phone number and is believed to be staying in downtown Denver in a homeless camp to get drugs."
Becerra's sister also told officers, "Tony does not want to go back to jail and that he is not going to stop until police kill him."
Another Aurora police document from 2016 said "Becerra is documented as a ... gang member ... used the street names 'Skitzo,' 'Psycho,' 'G-load' and 'GKI.'"
Becerra is being held in the Denver jail. On Tuesday, the Denver District Attorney's office filed a motion seeking more time to file charges in the case. According to that motion, Denver prosecutors are "conferring with the United States attorney regarding federal adoption of charges."