Suspect in Lubbock Schlotzky's arson case faces separate burglary charge
A 19-year-old man accused of breaking into a sandwich shop, stealing from it and setting fires in the business' kitchen and office is now facing a separate burglary charge at another restaurant.
A Lubbock County grand jury returned an indictment charging Blair Warner with a state jail felony count of burglary of a building.
The charge stems from a July 6 arrest in connection with a break in at the Mar Y Tierra Restaurant in the 5700 block of 19th Street.
A Lubbock police officer responding about 4:45 a.m. to an alarm at the restaurant found that the door of business appeared to have been pried open. The officer found Warner in the restaurant's office clutching a metal pole, according to a police report.
The officer handcuffed Warner and found evidence that Warner tried to break into the business' safe with two screwdrivers, the report states.
Meanwhile, Warner also faces a felony charge in connection with an Aug. 2 fire at the Schlotzky's location in the 3700 block of 19th Street.
A grand jury indicted Warner on Aug. 30 for arson in that case. The offense is a second-degree felony that carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
Lubbock Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the scene after an unidentified caller told a dispatcher about 2:50 a.m. that smoke was billowing from the roof of the building. Firefighters extinguished a blaze in the kitchen area and another one in the office, according to a police report.
No injuries were reported.
Fire investigators believe an arsonist ignited "lightweight combustibles" to start the fire in the kitchen and lit paperwork in the office to set the other fire, the report states.
Warner was identified as a suspect in the case when his uncle called police on Aug. 9, saying he believed his nephew was the arsonist investigators sought, according to an arrest warrant.
Court documents state Warners' uncle told investigators that his nephew admitted to him that he robbed restaurant before setting two fires inside the building.
He said Warner reportedly admitted to him that he broke into the restaurant using a screwdriver, stole about $200 and a computer tablet.
He said his nephew initially denied setting fire to the business but after providing more details of the burglary, admitted to using a BIC lighter to start the fires, the warrant states.
Warner was arrested Aug. 19 in Roswell after officials at a local shelter there learned of an active arrest warrant for him out of Lubbock.
Jail records show he was taken to the Lubbock County Detention Center later that day.
Warner remains held at the detention center on charges of arson and burglary of a building. His bond is set at $100,000.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Suspect in Lubbock Schlotzky's arson case faces separate burglary case
