RICHMOND, TX (Covering Katy News) – A man from Katy agreed to a 14 years prison sentence for destroying a Fort Bend County owned building by setting it on fire in April of 2023.
Andrew Huwar, 30, pleaded guilty to arson. He was also sentenced to the maximum 10 years on a felony Stalking charge, after the court revoked his probation. The sentences will be served concurrently, meaning Huwar will serve both sentences at the same time and won't have to complete his 14 year sentence before serving his 10 year sentence.
Huwar initially pleaded guilty to Stalking on October 26, 2020. He was placed on a deferred adjudication probation for three years. The defendant was required to regularly report to the Fort Bend County Community Corrections and Supervision Department among other conditions.
In the late-night hours of April 4, 2023, the Community Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 19310 Beechnut Street, in Richmond. The location is a satellite office for the county’s Community Corrections and Supervision Department and is where Huwar visited his probation officer. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire, but not before severe damage was done at a loss of more than $250,000 to Fort Bend County. The building could not be saved and was later demolished.
The Fort Bend County Fire Marshal’s Office investigated and determined the fire was intentionally set. The Fire Marshal conducted an extensive investigation taking samples from the fire scene, obtaining video from the area, finding boot tracks near the building, and obtaining phone records and other evidence. The investigation revealed that Huwar had reported to his probation officer on the day of the fire, during which he tested positive for drugs in violation of his probation. After examining all the evidence and speaking to witnesses, the Fire Marshal concluded the fire was set by Huwar.
On May 25, 2023, members of the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Fugitive Task Force arrested Huwar. In the following weeks, the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office indicted Huwar for the arson and filed a motion to revoke his probation.
“The damage in this case was severe and the sentence reflected that,” said District Attorney Brian Middleton. “And more so, the intent the defendant exhibited – to burn the probation department to the ground because he didn’t want to answer for his own violations, justifies the result.”