Montgomery County Resident Arrested and Charged with 1st Degree Felony Arson

CONROE, TX -- On July 12, 2021 at 9pm, the Needham Fire Department responded to a residential fire in the 11600 block of Old Oaks Lane in Conroe. Firefighters arrived to find the front of the home on fire. The fire was extinguished and reported a strong odor of gasoline near the fire’s origin, summoning Investigators from the Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Patrol Officers from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrived to secure the scene as there were reports that the suspect was still in the area and had made threats to harm family members prior to setting the home on fire. MCSO Deputies made contact with the suspect, 41 year old Erik Ronald Rod and detained him after he made additional threats against family members on scene.

MCFMO Fire Investigators soon arrived and began an investigation which led them to arrest Erik Ronald Rod for Arson of a Habitation, a 1st Degree Felony. During their investigation they determined that Rod, who lives nearby, had walked to a family member’s home and began threatening to kill them, before pouring gasoline on the front of the occupied home. The home’s occupants stated that they smelled gasoline before the fire started, and due to the fire blocking their escape route, they were forced to flee out the rear of the home.
Rod was transported by MCSO to the Montgomery County Jail, where they were met by Officers with the MCFMO. MCFMO Investigators consulted with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, and then booked Rod into the Montgomery County Jail, where he will remain until a bond is