The kingpin behind a devastating fire in Weatherly that caused more than $1 million in damages and left six people homeless faces arson and other charges.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Sgt. Michael Bogart of the Weatherly Borough Police Department:

Borough police arrived at 2:41 a.m. Aug. 6, 2016, for a fire at 234 Third St. The fire engulfed the residence before spreading to 238 Third St. and 228 Third St.

The 238 Third St. residence was occupied by two adults and one child, while the 228 Third St. residence was occupied by two adults and one minor. All six residents escaped the fire without injuries.

The 234 Third St. residence was owned by a limited liability company, Getaway Rental Property LLC, which is registered to Roberto Torner, 46, of Freeland.

Torner is a known associate of David Alzugaray, to whom ownership of the residence was transferred on Nov. 3, 2014.

On or about Nov. 10, 2014, Alzugaray transferred ownership to Getaway Rental Property LLC, the limited liability company owned by Torner.

Investigators learned that the property was insured through Liberty Mutual Insurance, with the name insured on the policy being Torner’s.

The policy was issued on May 8, 2016. Torner made a claim on Aug. 6, 2016, indicating the structure’s cause of loss as fire.

On or between Sept. 23, 2016, and May 31, 2017, Liberty Mutual paid Torner about $245,476 in insured money.

Trooper Jamison Sgarlat, of the Pennsylvania State Police Fire Investigation Unit, concluded that the fire started in the front room/front porch area of the 234 Third St. residence, and that the cause was arson with a classification of incendiary.

There was no evidence that accelerants, such as gasoline for a lawn mower or ignitable liquid fuel sources used for household utilities such as an oil tank, were kept, stored or maintained in or around the point of origin for any purpose other than to intentionally set a fire.

On or about Aug. 6, 2016, Weatherly Police canvassed the town and made contact with the owner of a property who had video surveillance that captured relevant events.

Upon reviewing the surveillance video, investigators observed a white sports car with a large rear spoiler traveling past the camera going north on Fell Street toward Third Street on two occasions on Aug. 6, 2016.

The vehicle was observed around 2 a.m., and then again at 2:40 a.m., which was consistent in time with the 911 calls that occurred.

On Aug. 6, 2016, investigators interviewed a man who said he woke up a few minutes before the fire to the sound of male voices in the direction of the 234 Third St. residence, and that it sounded like they were speaking Spanish. The witness said he heard glass break, and that upon leaving his residence, he saw the front porch of the 234 Third St. residence engulfed in flames.

On Jan. 4, 2018, investigators interviewed a man who said Torner told him that a person drove David Alzugaray and a person known to him as “Felix” to Weatherly on the morning of Aug. 6, 2016, to burn down the 234 S. Third St. residence. Investigators identified “Felix” as Felix Lazaro Larrinaga-Sanchez, 45.

The man drove them in his 2011 white Mitsubishi Eclipse, and said both Alzugaray and Sanchez got out of the vehicle and traveled on foot down an alley way, as Sanchez had a bag containing items that made a metallic noise when he moved. He said that he remained alone in the vehicle for about 30 minutes.

The man said that Alzugaray and Sanchez returned to the vehicle and that both smelled like fuel.

Upon arriving back to Freeland, he said he was instructed to drop them off at Torner’s residence in Freeland, and that he then returned to his place in Freeland.

He said that later that same day, he was instructed by Alba Veras, a known associate of Torner, to respond to the area of Centre Street because Torner wanted to speak with him.

He said that he went to meet Torner and saw that Torner, Alzugaray and Liza Robles (the purported, but not legal, spouse of Torner) were sitting in Torner’s suburban that was parked on the street, at which time Torner told him “he better keep his mouth shut” and informed him that Sanchez had already left town.

On May 7, 2018, investigators interviewed Robles, who said that both she and Torner knew that Alzugaray and others were responsible for burning down 234 Third St., but refrained from reporting the incident so they could collect the insurance money.

On June 18, 2018, investigators interviewed Torner, who said he had conversations with him about what he would say to law enforcement about the fire. On Aug. 6, 2018, Torner told Bogart that he was at the Weatherly address after the tenants moved out about a week before the fire started.

Torner faces charges on six counts of arson and related offenses; two counts of criminal solicitation; and one count each of criminal attempt, criminal conspiracy, false/fraud/income insurance claim and risking catastrophe.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail, and scheduled to have a preliminary hearing at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday before District Judge Joseph D. Homanko of Weatherly.