Man Who Torched His Ex-Girlfriend's Car In East Austin Draws 15-Year Sentence

EAST AUSTIN, TX — A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday stemming from the torching of his ex-girlfriend's car last year in East Austin.

Jesse Ocampo was indicted last July for arson, as the Travis County District Attorney's Office previously announced. The indictment stems from the incident that occurred at an apartment complex along the 1100 block of Reinli Street, officials at the DA's office said in a prepared statement.

Ocampo fled to Dallas where he was accused of assaulting a cousin with a baseball bat, the news station reported. He was subsequently arrested on that charge, and reportedly broke out the back window of a police car while in custody.

Once posting bond, he is said to have traveled back to Austin, assaulted his ex-girlfriend and smashing her apartment windows.

According to the DA's office, Ocampo has had a violent past besides the arson incident.

"In addition, investigators discovered that Ocampo had previously held a gun to the same ex-girlfriend, forcing her children to watch that ordeal," officials at the DA's office said in a statement. "After his arrest, Ocampo made further threats against her, specifically saying he would burn down the victim’s home to kill her, and her children. He also threatened to kill two eye-witnesses to the arson, and even assaulted someone while in jail — a deaf cell-mate — who had the courage to report those threats."

Assistant District Attorney Jessica Huynh, who prosecuted the case, said she was gratified at the resolution.

"We are grateful to the victim of this crime for her bravery and strength of character she showed throughout this process," Assistant DA Jessica Huynh said. "It was clear after multiple meetings that her primary goal was to keep her family safe."

She also thanked other officials who assisted in building a case against Ocampo: "We also wanted to recognize the dedication and determination of the Austin Fire Department’s Arson Investigation Unit and our DA’s Office investigative team who pieced together the destructive and violent path the defendant chose to take.”

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