Unruly San Angelo Gentleman Indicted for Punching Cop & Setting an Apartment on Fire

SAN ANGELO, TX – A San Angelo man has been indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for setting his apartment on fire and assaulting a peace officer.

On October 5, 2021, the San Angelo Fire Department and San Angelo Police Department responded to Bella Vista Apartments, located at 4125 Ben Ficklin Road in San Angelo, Texas, for a structure fire.

An employee woke up to his apartment filled with smoke and ran outside to check what was going on. Other people were standing outside and looking at apartment 67 where the smoke was coming from. The employee called 911 to report the fire.

The entire building had been evacuated and the fire was put out. San Angelo Fire Marshals investigated the fire and told the Affiant that two separate fires were started inside apartment 67.

The tenant of apartment 67, Jimmy Darrell Keith told the Fire Marshal that he was barbecuing inside his apartment.

Through the Fire Marshal investigation, one fire was started in the bedroom on the bed, which cause the bed frame to catch fire. The other fire was started in the kitchen area where Fire Marshal discovered a cooking sheet with clothing on it. This was the origin of the second fire.

All electrical components had been functioning normally and were eliminated as a contributing factor.

The Fire Marshals concluded that fires were intentionally set inside apartment 67 by the tenant, Keith.

While at the Shannon Hospital, located at 120 East Harris, Keith fled detention through an exit door and into the ambulance bay. A San Angelo police officer caught Keith and tried to gain control of him.

Keith punched the officer several times in the face and head area with a closed fist. This resulted in lacerations, bruising, and a left orbital fracture around the officer’s left eye.

This was confirmed by Shannon Hospital video surveillance footage.

Keith was booked into the Tom Green County Detention Facility on Oct. 5, 2021 and is currently still and inmate.

Keith faces 2 to 10 years in prison and a $10,000.00 fine.