AUSTIN, Texas — A man faces multiple felony charges after a fire that left two people seriously hurt and displaced dozens in North Austin.
Pavel Sapronov, 38, was arrested last week following an arson investigation into the Sept. 3 fire at an apartment complex on West Longspur Boulevard.
According to an affidavit, Sapronov is accused of intentionally starting the fire as retaliation against a couple he met on a dating app.
It said Sapronov agreed to meet the woman at a hotel room back in August when he immediately threw her down on the ground after entering the room. The meeting ended after Sapronov was kicked out of the room by the woman’s boyfriend, according to the affidavit.
After the meeting, the woman deleted her account before eventually opening a new one and connecting with Sapronov again. Sapronov was allegedly invited to their apartment again when he attacked the woman once again. Witnesses were able to intervene before Sapronov left the scene.
Following the incident, witnesses said they heard a loud noise and then smelled fire, which eventually burned itself out. Another fire was then started, which led all three people inside the apartment to escape without injury. When fire crews arrived, they found the fire had spread to two balconies and a stairwell of the building.
The fire eventually spread to six apartments, leaving a man and woman in a nearby apartment with life-threatening injuries.
According to the affidavit, Sapronov was caught on surveillance footage parking near the apartment complex and running back and forth to his vehicle multiple times. He faces two charges of aggravated assault and one charge of arson in the incident.
Officials said the fire caused around $1 million in damage and $200,000 in contents damage. Sapronov remains in jail on bonds totaling $110,000.