The first rule of Arson Club is, of course, don’t talk about Arson Club. But the second rule is almost as important: Don’t set yourself on fire.
There is some question as to whether Artemio Sanchez-Ortega has ever been a member of Arson Club, however, as police suspect he is the man who poured gasoline on his ex-girlfriend’s property in Albuquerque, then lit a match and it — and himself — aflame.
I’m not sure what the third rule of Arson Club is, but if it’s not “Don’t get caught on camera committing arson,” it probably should be.
And — you guessed it — the suspect in this case managed to break that one too.
Albuqueque’s KOB shared a neighbor’s video surveillance footage that showed the suspect fleeing the scene. (He’s easy to identify in the video; he’s the one on fire.)
Three vehicles outside the home of Sanchez-Ortega’s ex-girlfriend — whom police did not named — were destroyed by the fire, and her home was damaged as well.
The former girlfriend and her four children were inside the home while all this was happening, watching, as KOB reported, “in complete shock.”
The unnamed victim told KOB that she wasn’t sure what led to the arson, but the station cited an arrest warrant that included the victim’s statement that she had spoken to Sanchez-Ortega earlier in the evening and that he had been drinking.
Is crime becoming a bigger problem in America?
Yes: 100% (235 Votes)
No: 0% (1 Votes)
Police told the outlet that Sanchez-Ortega’s white truck had been parked down the street at the time of the incident, which also helped identify him as the prime suspect.
That should probably be the fourth rule of Arson Club: Don’t park too close to the site of your intended blaze.
The victim told KOB that she wants to see Sanchez-Ortega arrested and for him to face the consequences of his actions.
So far, however, the 46-year-old is still on the run, demonstrating that he’s apparently able to abide by the first rule of Arson Club. So far, anyway.
“I kind of had to laugh at the sort of amateur hour situation there, if you’re going to commit arson, try to do it without setting yourself on fire,” neighbor Daniel Provine told KOB. “Feel like that dude got what he deserved a little bit in the process.”
“I hope they find that guy and take care of business, that’s about really all I can say,” he added.
According to KOAT, the suspect drives a White Chevy Silverado with Texas license plate 1C0-2721, chrome rims, black fender flares and a black horizontal stripe.
I can only hope that the suspect isn’t carrying a firearm when police inevitably catch up to him. I’d hate to see him pull his weapon … and accidentally shoot himself.
A Note from Our Deputy Managing Editor:
I heard a chilling comment the other day: “We don’t even know if an election will be held in 2024.”
That wasn’t said by a conspiracy theorist or a doomsday prophet. No, former U.S. national security advisor Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn said that to the founder of The Western Journal, Floyd Brown.
Gen. Flynn’s warning means that the 2024 election is the most important election for every single living American. If we lose this one to the wealthy elites who hate us, hate God, and hate what America stands for, we can only assume that 248 years of American history and the values we hold dear to our hearts may soon vanish.
The end game is here, and as Benjamin Franklin said, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
All of this means that without you, it’s over. We have the platform, the journalists, and the experience to fight back hard, but Big Tech is strangling us through advertising blacklists, shadow bans, and algorithms. Did you know that we’ve been blacklisted by 90% of advertisers? Without direct support from you, our readers, we can’t continue the fight.
Can we count on your support? It may not seem like much, but a Western Journal Membership can make all the difference in the world because when you support us directly, you cut Big Tech out of the picture. They lose control.
A monthly Western Journal Membership costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content — news, commentary, and premium articles. You’ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America’s soul in 2024.
We are literally counting on you because without our members, The Western Journal would cease to exist. Will you join us in the fight?
Sincerely,
Josh Manning
Deputy Managing Editor
The Western Journal
George Upper is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Western Journal and was a weekly co-host of “WJ Live,” powered by The Western Journal. He is currently a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. A former U.S. Army special operator, teacher and consultant, he is a lifetime member of the NRA and an active volunteer leader in his church. Born in Foxborough, Massachusetts, he has lived most of his life in central North Carolina.
George Upper, is the former editor-in-chief of The Western Journal and is now a contributing editor in the areas of faith, politics and culture. He currently serves as the connections pastor at Awestruck Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is a former U.S. Army special operator, teacher, manager and consultant. Born in Massachusetts, he graduated from Foxborough High School before joining the Army and spending most of the next three years at Fort Bragg. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English as well as a Master’s in Business Administration, all from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He and his wife life only a short drive from his three children, their spouses and his grandchildren. He is a lifetime member of the NRA and in his spare time he shoots, reads a lot of Lawrence Block and John D. MacDonald, and watches Bruce Campbell movies. He is a fan of individual freedom, Tommy Bahama, fine-point G-2 pens and the Oxford comma.
