Bacliff RV park owner, tenant sue local woman over alleged arson

GALVESTON - The owner of a Bacliff RV park and one of his clients have initiated legal action following an alleged arson.

Local resident William Montgomery, doing business as Pelican RV Park, and Artesia, N.M., resident Joe Torres allege that Bacliff local Shirley Ekstrom is responsible for a fire two years ago that damaged "multiple" fixtures and properties, including Torres's 2007 Holiday RV, at the subject facility.

Montgomery and Torres's lawsuit was filed July 15 in Galveston County District Court.

According to the original petition, the July 17, 2011, blaze in question originated in Eckstrom's adjacent garage and "quickly" spread to the RV Park.

Torres says that he "was awoken in the middle of the night by the fire and rushed outside."

Montgomery adds the fire took about three hours to extinguish as well as left "significant" destruction in its wake.

The Galveston County Sheriff's Department determined arson to be the cause of the inferno the plaintiffs assert Eckstrom intentionally caused.

The suit shows the fire consumed Torres's vehicle and the contents contained within while it purportedly cost Montgomery three months of income.

Torres's insurer, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., is also being sued because it apparently failed and refused to cover his reported damages.

A jury trial is requested.

Attorney Elizabeth L. Sandoval of Arguello Hope & Associates P.L.L.C. in Houston is representing the complainants, and Galveston County 122nd District Court Judge John Ellisor is presiding over the case.

Case No. 13-CV-912