Roseville Man Sentenced for Fire That Trapped Parents Inside Home
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A Roseville man convicted of setting fire to a home while his parents were trapped inside has received a stayed prison sentence and will serve probation instead of prison time.
Andrew Michael Alvarez, 29, was sentenced Feb. 27 after pleading guilty to first-degree arson of a dwelling stemming from a June 2, 2025 fire in Roseville.
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Court records show the judge imposed an 81-month prison sentence but stayed execution for five years, placing Alvarez on probation unless he violates supervision terms. As part of the plea agreement, two charges of attempted second-degree murder filed in the case were dismissed at sentencing. If Alvarez violates probation, the court could execute the previously imposed 81-month prison sentence.
According to the criminal complaint, the fire was started around 11:15 p.m. inside a home on the 2700 block of Matilda Street where Alvarez’s parents were asleep. One of them reported hearing a sudden “whoosh” before discovering flames blocking an exit route. Smoke quickly filled portions of the house as multiple fires burned in different areas, including the kitchen and bedrooms. Responding officers and firefighters helped the two occupants escape through a basement window while crews extinguished several intentionally set fires inside the residence. Investigators later determined accelerants were used and identified multiple points of origin, leading authorities to conclude the fire had been deliberately started.
PREVIOUSLY: Son Set Fire to Parents’ Roseville Home, Trapping Them Inside
Court records say Alvarez’s parents told investigators he struggled with methamphetamine use and frequently donated plasma to obtain money for drugs. Police later located Alvarez nearby and arrested him after finding personal belongings, drug paraphernalia and a lighter later connected to the incident. During questioning, investigators reported Alvarez never denied setting the fires and acknowledged leaving the home after the blaze began.
A house fire in Roseville on Monday, June 2, 2025. MN CRIME PHOTO
At sentencing, the court ordered Alvarez to serve 162 days in the Ramsey County Correctional Facility, a term already satisfied through credit for time served. He was placed on supervised probation through Feb. 27, 2031 and must comply with numerous conditions, including remaining law-abiding, completing a chemical use assessment, abstaining from alcohol and controlled substances, submitting to random testing and participating in cognitive skills and mental health programming.
The sentence was a downward dispositional departure paired with an upward durational departure, meaning the prison term exceeded standard guidelines but was stayed in favor of probationary supervision. Restitution remains open and will be determined through probation within 90 days of sentencing.
Andrew Michael Alvarez, 29, was sentenced Feb. 27 after pleading guilty to first-degree arson of a dwelling stemming from a June 2, 2025 fire in Roseville.