AMARILLO, TX – A 46-year-old man is being held without bond on murder charges after allegedly setting fire to a trailer while his roommate slept inside, burning the victim alive in what prosecutors are calling a deliberate and brutal killing.
Luis Angel Rico faces a murder charge in connection with the October 27 death of James Sosa, whose body was found in the charred remains of the third-wheel trailer the two men shared. Court documents reveal investigators found evidence of an accelerant on Rico’s clothing when first responders arrived at the scene.
Emergency crews responding to reports of a structure fire in the early morning hours discovered Sosa’s body inside the burned trailer. An autopsy later determined the victim had been alive when the fire started, with medical examiners finding soot deposits in his trachea and lungs indicating he had inhaled smoke before dying.
Rico initially told investigators he thought his roommate might be inside the trailer and claimed he’d only lit a candle before leaving the residence. But forensic evidence quickly contradicted his account, according to documents filed in Potter County District Court.
Crime scene technicians discovered soot covering Rico’s hands and detected the distinct odor of gasoline on his clothing when he returned to the scene. Laboratory testing later confirmed the presence of an accelerant on Rico’s right pants leg, right coat sleeve and both shoes.
Investigators also found inconsistencies in Rico’s timeline of events. He told detectives he’d been in the trailer with Sosa between 1 and 2:30 a.m. while his roommate watched television, then left the residence and didn’t return until around 5 a.m., when he noticed smoke.
Prosecutors believe Rico deliberately set the fire while Sosa was sleeping, giving the victim no chance to escape the flames. The trailer was completely destroyed in the blaze, with investigators spending hours combing through debris to collect evidence.
Sosa, who also went by the name Jaime, had been living in the trailer with Rico for several months before his death. Friends described him as a quiet man who kept to himself and worked construction jobs around Amarillo. The motive for the killing remains unclear, though detectives are investigating whether the two men had been arguing in the days before the fire.
Rico is currently being held in Potter County Jail as he awaits trial on the murder charge. If convicted, he could face life in prison. His case has been assigned to prosecutors with the Potter County District Attorney’s Office, who are expected to present evidence to a grand jury in the coming weeks.
