Authorities are investigating after a man who helped police catch a suspected car burglar in Kendall had a Molotov cocktail thrown at his house early Wednesday.
No one was home when the alleged arson happened just before 5:30 a.m. at the home of William Franco in the 14100 block of Southwest 43rd Lane, Miami-Dade Police said.
Fire Rescue responded and quickly put out the flames. No injuries were reported.
Franco, 51, had called 911 on Tuesday to report a man breaking into vehicles near his home. The 911 call led to the arrest of 23-year-old Bryan Aneiros, who now faces three burglary charges.
Police said it's unknown if the arson incident has anything to do with the arrest of Aneiros. But Franco said there was no doubt it was retaliatory.
"It's revenge, they decided to get back at me because I helped catch a bad guy and get him off the street," he said.
Police said the cocktail was thrown around 2:30 a.m. Aneiros was still behind bars and didn't bond out of jail until an hour later.
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There have also been some legal issues surrounding the ownership of the home. It was under foreclosure and Franco was supposed to be out soon.
