Corsicana Arson Suspect in Napoli’s Fire Now Charged in 2024 Restaurant Blaze

Overview

• Police identified the suspect as 43-year-old Salvador Sandoval, who was arrested in Ennis and booked into the Navarro County Jail on first-degree felony arson with intent to damage habitat.
• Investigators obtained a second arrest warrant linking Sandoval to a May 2024 fire at Cocina Azteca, described as a Molotov cocktail attack, citing his interview statements and surveillance showing his vehicle near the scene.
• Security video from Napoli’s captured a man pouring gasoline on the floor and igniting it without concealing his face, with owners reporting a gas can found after the blaze and an unusual unlocked back door.
• The fire was reported around 4 a.m. Sunday at 111 E. Collin Street, where firefighters found the bar area fully engulfed as Officer Jesse Hanna rescued residents from apartments above through heavy smoke.
• Police reported signs of forced entry and say additional evidence has been recovered for forensic examination, with no motive announced as the investigation continues.