San Juan man charged after trying to set house on fire with family inside
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Officers arrested a San Juan man last week, when he attempted to set a house ablaze — with his wife and her children inside, according to court records.
The San Juan Police Department arrested Roque Cano Jr., 36, of San Juan on April 5. Cano is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony; arson, a second-degree felony; and possession of cocaine, a state jail felony.
At 8:12 a.m. on April 5, police officers responded to a call about a disturbance, according to San Juan Municipal Court records.
A woman said her husband, Roque Cano Jr., "had been out drinking all night with his brother and she did not want him inside the house," according to the criminal complaint against him.
Cano broke a window, according to the criminal complaint. After breaking the window, he poured gasoline on the window and on the door.
"She observed Roque attempting to turn on the gasoline with a green lighter," according to the criminal complaint, which continued later: "Roque did not light the gasoline and (sic) stated she was not sure if Roque was just trying to scare her."
Cano did, however, set the porch swings on fire, according to the criminal complaint.
The woman didn't want to press charges against Cano, according to the criminal complaint. Officers charged Cano anyway "due to being a family violence assault and due to the many prior history of assaults."
Along with assault, Cano's criminal record includes a conviction for attempted murder in 2011.
Court records don't list an attorney for Cano, who remained at the Hidalgo County jail Monday and couldn't be reached for comment.