Justice sends to preventive prison a man accused of setting fire to another after a fight over food and alcohol

A man accused of setting fire to another individual's home in Rivera, Uruguay, has been ordered into pre-trial detention by the Court of Appeals. The incident reportedly stemmed from a dispute over stolen food and alcoholic beverages.

The victim was inside the house when it was set ablaze, sustaining severe burns that necessitated his transfer to Montevideo for specialized medical care. The accused has been formally charged as the alleged perpetrator of a particularly aggravated attempted homicide.

Initially, a lower court had placed the suspect under total house arrest with electronic monitoring and daily police checks for 180 days. However, the Rivera Prosecutor's Office appealed this decision, citing risks to the victim and the ongoing investigation. The Court of Appeals granted the prosecution's request, revoking the initial measure and imposing pre-trial detention.

According to court documents, the altercation occurred on July 14 around 10:00 PM when the victim confronted the accused about consuming his food and drinks. The victim, who lived in a small wooden structure on a property with the owner's permission, was inside when the fire broke out. The property owner witnessed the initial argument. Later, the owner's eight-year-old son saw the accused near the victim's dwelling and alerted his mother. Upon investigating, the owner discovered the house on fire and, with her husband and a neighbor, managed to rescue the victim, who could not escape on his own. Firefighters and police responded to the scene. The victim reportedly identified the accused as the person he argued with over alcohol and food while being rescued. Medical reports confirmed third-degree burns on the victim's left leg and second-degree burns elsewhere. Fire department investigators classified the blaze as "hypothetically intentional," and security footage shows the accused entering and leaving the property shortly before the fire.