Pablo Patino is facing several charges related to a strange series of events that started the day after Christmas and continued the week of New Year’s.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Pablo Patino, the man accused of setting multiple homes on fire last week, will remain behind bars after a judge denied his bond request Tuesday morning.
Patino is facing several charges, including arson, making a terroristic threat, assault of a family member and violating a protective order. He’s currently being held on bonds totaling $4.5 million.
Patino’s estranged wife asked the judge not to release him because she and her family, including her daughter, feared for their lives. The defendant stared intently at his wife during her testimony but she didn’t look at him.
Prosecutor Anthony Osso said the family was relieved by the judge’s decision.
“It was very scary for them and for her to listen and hold him at no bond to make sure they were safe, it really meant a lot to them,” Osso said.
He said state law allows judges to deny bond for suspects accused of committing another offense in violation of a protective order.
Patino’s attorney had no comment after the hearing.
Editor’s note: The video above originally aired on an earlier date.
First fire
On Tuesday, Jan. 3, investigators said Patino, 27, intentionally set his estranged wife’s parents’ north Houston house on fire. His wife, her daughter and four other family members were inside at the time but they made it out safely. Investigators said Patino also tried to run his wife over with a car when she escaped the burning house.
It happened around 3:30 a.m. on Mortimer Drive near Antoine Drive and the Sam Houston Tollway .
Family members said Patino shaved his facial hair in an effort to disguise himself before he set six fires around the house, but the incident was captured on Ring video.
Patino got away after setting the fires, officials said.
Second fire
Patino was taken into custody Thursday, Jan. 5, after a SWAT standoff in the Spring area, according to authorities.
The standoff took place at Patino’s house on Lotus Blossom Street, which is in a neighborhood off Cypresswood Drive on the east side of the Hardy Toll Road.
Authorities said the standoff started around 2 p.m. A couple of hours later, authorities said Patino started a fire inside the house when a robot spotted him in the attic.
Patino was seen climbing out of a second-story window and was quickly arrested nearly four hours later.
Authorities said Patino never talked with negotiators during the hours-long standoff and they’re not sure exactly how he started the fire.
They said they were trying to get him to come out but he only did so once the fire got to be unbearable. He was checked out at a hospital before being taken to jail.
Beginning of standoff
According to authorities, Patino’s wife thought her estranged husband was out of town on Thursday and she wanted to get some clothes out of the home on Lotus Blossom.
Since Patino was still not in custody, she asked for constable deputies to escort her to the house just in case he was there.
“We knew who he was. We knew how violent he was,” Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office Captain Vicente Medina said.
When they got there, the constable deputies entered the house to make sure it was clear. That’s when they said they spotted Patino in a hallway. Authorities said he ran to a back bedroom where he told them he had a gun.
The constable deputies immediately left the house unharmed and called for reinforcements, officials said.
Another charge
Before the fires, Patino was arrested on the day after Christmas for assault. He was released on bond the same day.
That’s when his wife left the home to stay with her parents.
Domestic violence help
In Houston, domestic and family violence cases have increased at an alarming rate. Victims often suffer in silence because they feel scared, helpless or ashamed.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, here are some discreet ways to reach out for help.
The Houston Area Women’s Center has a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence at 713-528-2121 or 1-800-256-0551.
The Family Time Crisis Center can also be reached 24 hours a day at 281-446-2615.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 88788.