Suspect Arrested After Arson at Fresno Building in Eminent Domain Dispute

Early Friday, a fire broke out at the former A&T Ceramic Tile showroom at Blackstone and McKinley in central Fresno, a property the city says it acquired by eminent domain last March as part of a railroad crossing improvement project. Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz called the blaze intentional, saying investigators “have suspects in mind” and that the city has been working to secure the site for months.

Fire crews and investigators were concerned the blaze could spread to about 2,900 pallets of tile reportedly inside the building. The large inventory prompted a significant emergency response and heightened alarm among nearby business owners after two other suspicious blazes in the neighborhood in recent weeks. Those incidents included the former Carl’s Jr. across the street, which burned late last month, and the Star Stucco Products building, which burned on Sunday, with investigators noting two fires in 12 days were considered suspicious and that unhoused people may be tied to at least one of them.

Authorities say a Crime Stoppers tip led to the arrest of Frankie Ochoa after the case received local broadcast attention. Officials have not released formal charging details in the material available so far. Janz told reporters, “I want to be absolutely clear to your audience that this was a fire that was intentionally set by somebody,” and he added, “We do have suspects in mind, but the investigation is going to be ongoing.”

The blaze reopens a bitter legal fight between Art and Tony Terzian and City Hall. The city says it has taken ownership of the A&T property and at least 16 other parcels to make room for the railroad project; Janz said, “The city has set aside $1.5 million to move all of this gentleman's property to a safe and secure location and we've been trying to move his property for almost a year now and he's impeded every attempt by the city.” Janz also warned, “I want to be absolutely clear that if there is any damage to his property, it's going to be on him, and not the city.”

Art Terzian described the stock inside as “a lot of stuff. Samples. Mexican handmade tile,” and framed the inventory as central to the family’s livelihood. “This is our inventory, our livelihood,” Tony Terzian said, and Art added, “They don't understand that,” referring to city officials who have labeled some material as junk. Terzian has said he lacks insurance and has publicly worried about further fires, saying, “I'm thinking I'm going to be next.”

City officials say they had provided around-the-clock protection for the lot and that they recently cut locks to gain full access after Action News observed an unauthorized person in the back lot earlier in the week. One city employee quoted as White discussed prioritizing demolitions and securing properties, saying, “I wish we could do them all at once.”

The fire is the latest twist in a dispute that will head to trial in the fall. For central Fresno residents and business owners, the incident underscores ongoing safety risks around Blackstone and McKinley and the difficulties of balancing public infrastructure projects, property rights, and neighborhood security. Investigations by fire and police remain active; prosecutors, arson investigators, and city officials will determine next steps as the community watches how the legal and criminal proceedings unfold.