Man arrested in arson fires along I-35

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Police arrested a man they say set several small grass fires along the median of Interstate 35 in southern Travis County.

Austin police were dispatched to the 13300 block of S. Interstate 35 at 12:30 a.m. Sunday to assist the Buda Police Department, according to the arrest affidavit.

According the document, Timothy Eller, 53, used a lighter to ignite seven different fires within a span of 100 feet in the grass median between the freeway and frontage road.

Multiple witnesses reported seeing smoke as they drove down the freeway and stopped their vehicles to help extinguish the flames. According to the affidavit, witnesses saw Eller intentionally lighting patches of grass on fire. Witnesses were able to put out the flames by stomping on the fire and using bottles of water.

Fire investigators were also called to the scene and conducted a scene examination, where officers recovered a lighter sitting on a wooden post in close proximity to the fire scene.

Eller was arrested for an outstanding warrant and was booked into the Travis County Jail. Arson is a second-degree felony.