AUSTIN, Texas — Fire investigators have charged an Austin businessman in connection with multiple fires set across the city in recent months.
Back in February, KVUE reported that 75-year-old Dorsey Bryan Hardeman had been arrested and charged in connection with a fire at the former location of Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop, at 400 Nueces St.
The investigation revealed that Hardeman – the owner of Continental Automotive Group, which operates several dealerships in Austin, one in Dallas and two in San Juan, Texas – owned the property next door to the former bike shop and had expressed interest in purchasing the location, but a sale was never made.
Now, Hardeman is facing additional charges in connection with other fires the Austin Fire Department (AFD) says were intentionally set.
AFD said the first fire was intentionally set on Dec. 25, 2023, at 500 Pampa Drive, a property Hardeman was allegedly trying to buy. Then, on Feb. 17 and Feb. 20, 2024, fires were intentionally set at 4811 S. Congress Ave. AFD said its investigators believe those fires were an effort to clear the property of two remaining mobile homes that were hindering the property's sale or development.
According to AFD, video evidence and follow-up investigative work led the department to discover Hardeman was the person who allegedly intentionally set those fires. AFD also said the Feb. 25 fire on Nueces Street was intentionally set while its investigators were looking into the previous fires.
During the course of the Nueces investigation, Hardeman was allegedly recognized on security video as the person responsible for setting that fire as well.
Investigators connected him to the Pampa Drive fire on March 8, 2024, after the insurance company obtained surveillance video and provided it to investigators. AFD said Hardeman was observed in that video, setting the Pampa Drive fire.
Austin police arrested Hardeman on April 24. He is currently in custody in the Travis County Jail and has been charged with two counts of first-degree felony arson in connection with the South Congress fires and one count of second-degree felony arson in connection with the Pampa Drive fire. He already faced charges of burglary of a building, a state jail felony, and second-degree felony arson in connection with the Nueces fire.