Bastrop police arrested a 51-year-old Cedar Creek man on an arson charge Tuesday morning after fires broke out in two medical clinics within the city limits.
Police arrested Eric Wayne Prachyl on charges of arson, a second-degree felony, and burglary of a building, a state jail felony following a traffic stop. According to Bastrop police, the fires broke out near the same time a witness observed an “individual” breaking into a nearby liquor store.
BMC Medical Services and Annex on South Hasler St. and Lone Star Medical Clinic and Open MRI on Texas 71 and adjoining businesses suffered “extensive” damage in the fires, although no injuries were reported.
The fires were not at adjacent medical clinics. BMC Medical Services is located south of Texas 71, and Lone Star Medical Clinic and Open MRI is on the north side of the highway.
Cpl. Vicky Steffanic with the Bastrop Police Department said Tuesday morning that the suspect had not been interviewed and had not made any statements at the time of his arrest.
“It is believed the suspect was a patient of both medical practices, but this has not been confirmed as of yet,” Steffanic wrote in an e-mail to the Bastrop Advertiser.
When asked Tuesday afternoon if police had interviewed the suspect, Steffanic said the police department was not releasing further information “due to the investigation still pending.”
An official with the Bastrop Fire Department said Tuesday morning that the fire marshall was still evaluating the two sites.
Prachyl is in custody at the Bastrop County Jail. Total bond has been set at $520,000.
According to reports, Bastrop police responded to reports of a fire at BMC Medical Services and Annex in the 100 block of Hasler Blvd. at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday. A witness told police they saw “an individual driving a brown or tan Ford Ranger with a camper on the back” pull up next to Clint’s Liquors, which is also in the 100 block of Hasler Blvd., police said.
Police said the witness observed the suspect “make several trips into the liquor store and carry out numerous bottles of liquor,” according to reports.
Police said the witness observed the car flee north on Hasler Boulevard.
While police and fire were responding to the incident on Hasler, a second report of a fire was called in Lone Star Medical Clinic and Open MRI at 475 S. Texas 71.
According to reports, Bastrop County Sheriff’s deputies located a vehicle matching the description given by the witness. After making a traffic stop, Bastrop police came to the scene and said “evidence was found that linked the suspect to the arson and burglary of a building,” according to reports.
Prachyl was booked in the Bastrop County Jail without incident, police said.
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