Melbourne Man Sets ex's Apartment on Fire with Her and Friend Inside

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Melbourne, FL — A potentially deadly incident was averted late Friday night when Melbourne police responded to a report of an occupied burglary in progress at 2385 Woodwind Trail. The suspect, identified as Jesus Manuel Acevedo Rodriguez, attempted to forcibly enter an apartment occupied by his ex-girlfriend, Maylin Loo Torres, and her friend, Talena Beltran Cuba.

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The Incident

According to the police report, Officer Haycock arrived at the scene at approximately 10:30 PM on June 21, 2024. He found that Rodriguez had tried to break into the apartment by forcing open a window near the front door. When his attempt failed, Rodriguez allegedly poured a liquid on the front entryway and attempted to ignite it with a lighter, intending to set the apartment on fire while the occupants were still inside.

Officer Alicea, who assisted with translating for the primarily Spanish-speaking victims, took sworn statements from both Maylin and Talena. The statements were recorded on body-worn cameras. The victims identified the suspect by his Florida ID.

Arrest and Charges

Rodriguez was taken into custody shortly after at his residence at 285 Cambridge Lane. During a search, a small bag containing a white powdery substance, later identified as fentanyl, was found in his possession. Post-Miranda, Rodriguez admitted to setting the front mat on fire and extinguishing it himself.

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Rodriguez now faces multiple charges, including two counts of Arson with Knowledge of Occupants and two counts of Occupied Burglary. The police report noted that Rodriguez had committed crimes against the victims in the days leading up to the incident, but these were not reported until the night of the fire attempt.

Prior Threats and Attempts

The investigation revealed that earlier on the same day, Rodriguez had forcibly entered the apartment and stolen Maylin’s passport. He had also sent threatening text messages to Maylin starting on June 20, 2024. One message included a picture of a firearm with a caption stating, “I’m not going to sleep until I get this anger out of me.” Another message featured a photo of the front of her apartment, warning, “I’m going to give it all to whoever goes in or goes out of there from now on.”