Investigators confirm Frio annex damaged in arson attack

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Toasted: Intruder smashed windows, plowed Jeep into building before setting fire in kitchen

A man who believed he was being chased intentionally set a fire using a toaster in the Frio County Annex Building in downtown Dilley early Monday morning, April 14, according to investigators.
Frio County deputies say that 28-year-old Tyler Graves, who claimed to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, was reported by witnesses who saw him throwing chairs into windows at the county-owned building shortly after midnight.
Deputies arrived at the scene to find the front glass door shattered and black smoke coming from inside the building.
Graves and his dog were inside the building; the man was immediately cuffed by Dilley police officers and sheriff’s deputies.

A kitchen area and other spaces in the Frio County Annex, a government office building on Commerce Street in downtown Dilley, lie in ruins after an attack this week by a man who started a fire with a countertop toaster.

According to a report on the case, Graves allegedly admitted in an interview with officers that he had caused the damage and started the fire because he wanted to attract all available law enforcement officers to ward off the people he believed were trying to kill him. The suspect allegedly stuffed napkins inside the toaster and set them on fire, then tossed the appliance in a trash can.

A deputy state fire marshal has since confirmed that the incident was an act of arson.
Graves told investigating deputies that after several failed attempts to break the door glass using chairs, he rammed his Jeep into the door.
“This incident revolves around apparent mental health deterioration,” Sheriff Peter Salinas said Monday afternoon. “While these conditions cannot be used as an excuse for these serious and dangerous crimes, deputies are trained to recognize them and initiate all available resources for them.”
Graves was transported to the Frio County Jail before he was transferred to Cedar Hill Behavioral Health Facility on a detainer to receive appropriate mental health services.
Once released from the San Antonio facility, Graves will be transferred back to the Frio County Jail and faces felony charges for burglary of a building with intent to commit arson.