Soldier arrested in fatal arson fire Posted On: Tuesday, Jul. 7 2009 05:41 AM By Victor O'Brien
Killeen Daily Herald

A 26-year-old Fort Hood soldier accused of igniting a fire that killed a Phoenix firefighter in 2001 was arrested Saturday.

Christopher Benitez, 26, was arrested at Fort Hood Saturday on charges of murder and arson of an occupied structure.

Capt. Willie Nelson, a Phoenix fire investigator, said Benitez started a fire at a Southwest Supermarket, a neighborhood grocery store, that killed Bret Tarver, 40, on March 14, 2001. Tarver was married with three children.

"He was trying to put it out. He was one of the original ones that went into it. He got disoriented and lost his life," Nelson said.

Fellow firefighters pulled Tarver's body from the store before the building collapsed. He died of smoke inhalation and burns.

Since Tarver died during the arson, a felony offense, the charge was upgraded to murder, Nelson said.

For six years, Benitez was not even on Nelson's radar. Then in 2007, an anonymous tip linked Benitez to the fire. Nelson interviewed him at Fort Hood in 2008 and Benitez gave information that placed him at the scene. A grand jury returned murder and arson indictments against Benitez earlier this year, Nelson said.

Benitez set the fire as an act of retaliation, Nelson said.

"The motive behind it was several days before the fire, Christopher was caught shoplifting.

He did a beer run for a couple of 12-packs and threw some in his backpack, ran out the front door. The store manager chased him down and captured him," Nelson said.

Benitez returned to the store and set fire to discarded packing boxes. He remained in Bell County Jail Monday without bail until he is transferred to Phoenix.

Officials are investigating Benitez' cousin who may have also been with Benitez during the fire.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Victor O'Brien at vobrien@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7468.