AMARILLO, Texas — A 26-year-old Amarillo man who allegedly torched his girlfriend’s car after stealing her only set of keys has been tracked down and arrested in Ohio, according to court documents filed in Potter County.
Joseph Carlen Winn now faces a second-degree felony arson charge — a crime that carries a prison sentence of two to twenty years in Texas if convicted.
What court documents say happened
The incident allegedly took place on July 22, following a fight between Winn and his girlfriend.
According to the documents, Winn took her car keys during the argument. She left the scene, but those were the only keys she had to the vehicle.
Fire marshals later determined that a fire had been deliberately started in the rear passenger area of her car.
Surveillance footage puts him at the scene
Investigators pulled surveillance video from near where the burned vehicle was found.
The footage reportedly shows Winn getting into the car and starting the fire. Court documents describe him standing beside the vehicle as the orange glow of the flames lit up his face — then calmly closing the door and walking away before the car became fully engulfed.
An arrest warrant was issued on July 29.
Caught in Ohio weeks later
Winn did not stay in Texas.
On August 16, officers in Chillicothe, Ohio responded to a child custody dispute and ran Winn’s name through the system. It came back with a fugitive warrant out of Potter County.
He was taken into custody on the spot.
Winn is currently being held at Ross County Jail in Ohio. His bond is set at $15,000. Court records also show he has prior felony and misdemeanor theft convictions.
The case now moves forward as Texas authorities work to extradite him back to Amarillo to face the arson charge.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Winn is presumed innocent unless found guilty.
What do you think should happen to someone convicted of destroying a partner’s property out of anger? Share your thoughts in the comments.