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Grand jury declines to charge man in connection with deadly Iconic Village apartment fire
By Luz Moreno-Lozano
April 24, 2025 at 4:13 PM CDT
A Hays County grand jury has determined there's not enough evidence to charge a man who police believed to be responsible for the Iconic Village apartment fire in San Marcos.
The fire broke out in the early morning hours of July 20, 2018, killing five people: Haley Frizzell, 19; Dru Estes, 20; Belinda Moats, 21; David Ortiz, 21; and James Miranda, 23. Several others were injured. The fire destroyed one building and damaged others nearby.
Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson, 31, was arrested in 2023 in connection with the fire.
The case went unsolved until 2022 when a task force was created and began to review the evidence with assistance from the ATF, San Marcos Police Department and the Texas Rangers. Their findings pointed to Ferguson.
Ferguson was a student at Texas State University and lived at the complex at the time. His arrest report stated the fire started on a mattress that was left in the breezeway of a building. One resident told investigators she had left the mattress there for Ferguson. He initially denied knowing anything about it, but later said he lied.
Hays County officials said the grand jury met several times over two months to consider the evidence. This week the jury stated that they “failed to find a bill of indictment against the accused” and that they “encourage law enforcement to continue this investigation.”
Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins said in a written statement that his office would continue to work with law enforcement to ensure the investigation into the fire continues.
“I want to thank the members of the Grand Jury for their time and attention to this matter. I also want to thank the families of the young people killed and injured in this tragic fire for their patience and understanding,” Higgins said. “We feel for their loss every day and we remain committed to bringing the arsonist to justice to provide closure to those who have lost so much. We take the Grand Jury’s encouragement to continue the investigation to heart and will continue to work with the task force to that end.”
Ferguson served jail time but was released on bond. This week’s ruling frees him from that bond.
The fire broke out in the early morning hours of July 20, 2018, killing five people: Haley Frizzell, 19; Dru Estes, 20; Belinda Moats, 21; David Ortiz, 21; and James Miranda, 23. Several others were injured. The fire destroyed one building and damaged others nearby.
Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson, 31, was arrested in 2023 in connection with the fire.
The case went unsolved until 2022 when a task force was created and began to review the evidence with assistance from the ATF, San Marcos Police Department and the Texas Rangers. Their findings pointed to Ferguson.
Ferguson was a student at Texas State University and lived at the complex at the time. His arrest report stated the fire started on a mattress that was left in the breezeway of a building. One resident told investigators she had left the mattress there for Ferguson. He initially denied knowing anything about it, but later said he lied.
Hays County officials said the grand jury met several times over two months to consider the evidence. This week the jury stated that they “failed to find a bill of indictment against the accused” and that they “encourage law enforcement to continue this investigation.”
Hays County Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins said in a written statement that his office would continue to work with law enforcement to ensure the investigation into the fire continues.
“I want to thank the members of the Grand Jury for their time and attention to this matter. I also want to thank the families of the young people killed and injured in this tragic fire for their patience and understanding,” Higgins said. “We feel for their loss every day and we remain committed to bringing the arsonist to justice to provide closure to those who have lost so much. We take the Grand Jury’s encouragement to continue the investigation to heart and will continue to work with the task force to that end.”
Ferguson served jail time but was released on bond. This week’s ruling frees him from that bond.