by | Published
NEW BRAUNFELS, TX – The New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office has arrested a suspect in connection with an arson investigation stemming from a fire reported earlier this week.
On October 21, 2025, at approximately 3:30 a.m., officers with the New Braunfels Police Department responded to a residence in the 2200 block of West Bridge Street for a report of a disturbance. When officers arrived, they discovered that the resident had awoken to find several plastic bags of clothing on fire outside a detached garage, near other occupied structures.
The resident quickly extinguished the flames with a garden hose before the fire could spread. No injuries were reported, and no structures sustained damage.
The New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office began an investigation and determined the fire had been intentionally set. Based on the evidence gathered, investigators obtained an arrest warrant and a search warrant for the suspect’s residence.
On October 24, 2025, at approximately 6:00 a.m., the New Braunfels Police Department SWAT Team assisted the Fire Marshal’s Office in executing those warrants at a home in the 200 block of South Grape Avenue.
36-year-old Gilbert Hernandez, of New Braunfels, was taken into custody without incident. He was booked into the Comal County Jail on the charge of Arson (2nd Degree Felony) with bond set at $25,000. Hernandez also had an outstanding warrant for Assault of a Family Member/Household Member with Previous Conviction, which was served at the time of arrest.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be pending.
