Bradenton man accused of setting fire to Manatee County workshop, records say
A Bradenton man is accused of setting fire to a Manatee County workshop, according to state investigators.
Authorities arrested 19-year-old Mauricio Moises Guel on a charge of first-degree arson, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, according to court records.
An attorney representing Guel did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Investigators allege Guel intentionally set fire on July 4, 2023, to a rented workshop in the 5900 block of 15th St. E., Bradenton.
According to an arrest report, Southern Manatee Fire District crews responded to the fire at the 2,400-square-foot workshop, which was rented by a family member of Guel’s, and occupied part of a larger commercial building.
Investigators said they initially believed an air-conditioning unit may have caused the fire. However, they said an investigation later determined the fire originated outside the structure near the building’s southeast wall.
Bradenton man arrested in arson case
Surveillance video showed two men walking toward the area where the fire originated shortly before the blaze began, according to the report. Investigators said the pair appeared on the video carrying items and repeatedly looking around before leaving in a silver sedan.
The two returned a short time later in the silver sedan and attempted to extinguish the fire with buckets of water, according to an arrest report.
Investigators said witnesses identified one of the men in the video as Guel, who was 16 at the time.
The property owner told investigators she had begun eviction proceedings against one of Guel’s family members shortly before the fire happened, according to the report.
Court records show Guel was arrested on Wednesday, nearly three years after the alleged arson. Guel pleaded not guilty and was released on bond two days later. He is scheduled to be arraigned on July 24, according to court records.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations, the Southern Manatee Fire District, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, according to court documents.
