He showed Local 10 his burnt home after fire killed 2. Cops now say he started it

In late September, Jorge Marin Calderin gave Local 10 News an exclusive tour of his burned-down northwest Miami-Dade home soon after a fire killed two people inside. On Monday, deputies arrested the 61-year-old, saying he was the one who set it.

Marin Calderin is now facing two counts each of second-degree murder and attempted murder, along with one count of arson.

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The fire broke out just before 3 a.m. on Sept. 27 at Marin Calderin’s home at 1918 NW 53rd St. in the unincorporated Brownsville area.

5 p.m. report:

Marin Calderin and two others managed to escape, but investigators said Amaury Aguilera Ramos, 29, and Barbara Tamayo Guerrero, 58, were found unresponsive inside and later pronounced dead after being taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

On Jan. 14, autopsy results came back ruling they died from “thermal injuries and inhalation of products of combustion” and that the manner of both of their deaths was homicide.

In an arrest warrant, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Yasmani Oceguera wrote that immediately after the fire, Marin Calderin claimed that “while he was asleep in his bedroom, he was awakened by the smoke detector” and came out to find “two mattresses in the hallway, partially obstructing his doorway,” claiming his clothing caught fire while trying to “squeeze by the mattresses,” sustaining burns in the process and as he tried to extinguish the blaze.

But arson investigators said there were no burning mattresses.

“Based on their observations and evidence collected on scene, the fire was classified as incendiary,” Oceguera wrote. “Arson investigators identified the greatest fire damage within the common hallway which led to the bedrooms, with multiple non-communicating fire points of origin that were intentionally lit and where an accelerant was poured over the doors and frames, except (Marin Calderin’s) bedroom door.”

Investigators noted that Marin Calderin “was the only occupant who exited the home fully dressed, with keys, phone, wallet and religious artifacts in hand.”

His clothing would prove to be a key piece of evidence, according to the warrant. It states investigators collected his burned sweater as evidence and it “tested positive for traces of gasoline.”

“According to arson investigators, a positive trace of an accelerant on clothing is consistent with that of it being poured or splashed upon,” Oceguera wrote. “Due to gasoline’s rapid evaporation rate, it is unlikely to transfer unto clothing from brushing up against flames. Additionally, the two deceased victims’ clothing were also submitted for analysis and tested negative for traces of an accelerant.”

Authorities said surveillance video showed the fire rapidly igniting and no one approaching or entering the home in the moments before the house went up in flames.

Detectives did not list an alleged motive in the warrant.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Marin Calderin was being held without bond in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to jail records.