May 22--SAN ANTONIO -- A woman has been charged with capital murder and attempted capital murder in a December fire that killed her brother and hospitalized her father.
Police say that Miranda Herrera, 19, and a 17-year-old friend admitted they set the Northeast Side house on fire "in order to obtain a possible settlement for life insurance."
The friend, Wagner High School junior Sari Rodriguez, faces the same charges but is being held as a juvenile because she was 16 at the time of the fire.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 19, the teens lit cooking oil in the kitchen of the house in the 4800 block of Castle Pine Drive, an arrest warrant affidavit states.
Police say they also poured water on electrical outlets throughout the house and set a couch on fire in the living room.
The two left the house once it was on fire, the warrant states. The structure was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
Herrera's brother, David Herrera Jr., 22, died in the fire. He was autistic, SAPD spokesman Sgt. Javier Salazar said.
Their father, David Herrera Sr., 49, was hospitalized with serious injuries. He's in a facility that provides around-the-clock care and still could die, Salazar said.
"He's pretty bad off," Salazar added.
Firefighters had to pull both men from the burning house. Neighbors had tried to get into the house to alert the family but couldn't because of thick smoke.
An initial investigation concluded the fire had been an accident, based on information Miranda Herrera provided to investigators at the scene, the warrant says. On the morning of the fire, investigators said the flames could have started in a Christmas tree.
Police said Herrera attends a public school in Converse. She told school staff Tuesday that Rodriguez was accusing her of starting the fire, the warrant states. That caused SAPD homicide detectives to begin their investigation.
Herrera was arrested late Tuesday. She's being held in Bexar County Jail in lieu of posting bail totaling $2.5 million.
During a brief juvenile detention hearing Tuesday afternoon, state District Judge Laura Parker cited "the serious nature of the offense" in her decision to hold the teen in custody until at least June 5, when her next detention hearing is scheduled for.
"There is no record of any disciplinary problems, to my understanding," defense attorney Todd McCray told the judge, explaining that Rodriguez also was a caregiver for her grandfather prior to his death last month. "She follows directions. She's not a runaway. ... I don't feel she's a danger to herself or the public."
He declined, during and after the hearing, to discuss the allegations.
Rodriguez's family members declined comment as they left the courtroom.
Staff Writer Samuel Howard contributed to this report.
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