Odessa Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Arson After Jury Conviction

ODESSA, Texas – An Odessa man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a jury convicted him of arson stemming from a 2025 incident in which he allegedly poured gasoline on a neighbor’s vehicles, the Ector County District Attorney’s Office announced.

On Tuesday, Aug. 4, a jury in the 70th District Court found Augustine Falana guilty of second-degree felony arson. The same jury found him not guilty of a separate charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Judge Denn Whalen sentenced Falana to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice following the verdict.

According to prosecutors, the case began on Aug. 5, 2025, when Odessa Police officers responded to a residence after receiving a report of a person with a gun.

When officers arrived, they met with the victim, who reported that his neighbor, Falana, had poured gasoline on his vehicles, thrown a gasoline can into his yard and threatened him with a firearm.

Investigators said officers observed the vehicles covered in gasoline, consistent with the victim’s account.

During the investigation, officers recovered a gas can from Falana’s residence that contained what appeared to be a burned paper towel, which prosecutors said was introduced as evidence during the trial.

The Ector County District Attorney’s Office credited the Odessa Police Department for its investigation and recognized District Attorney Dusty Gallivan, Investigator Crystal Montoya and Paralegal Arlet Torres for their work on the case.