DENVER — The man accused of causing a fire that tore through an apartment complex under construction earlier this year will be ordered to receive a mental health evaluation.
Tony Becerra, 38, appeared in court in Denver on Tuesday morning. He is facing nearly 30 felony charges, including arson and burglary.
His defense attorney requested a competency evaluation, which determines whether a criminal defendant is mentally sound enough to aid in their own defense.
A status conference is now set for April 9 at 8:30 am.
Becerra remains in custody after the Denver Fire Department announced his arrest in connection to the massive fire spanning an entire city block on S. Leetsdale Drive on Jan. 2.
According to arrest documents, surveillance footage shows Becerra allegedly entering and leaving the scene shortly before the structure caught fire. Court documents include images captured by cameras that tracked the suspect’s movements for two hours after leaving the site, reportedly showing him carrying a bag and wearing a mask over his face.
At the time, Robert Murphy, operations division chief for DFD, said the fire was the biggest he has seen in Denver in a long time.
“This has really reached the level of about a five-alarm fire, which is huge for Denver," he explained.
Becerra is being held on a $50,000 dollar bond.
