The man accused of setting fire to his apartment building resulting in the death of one of his neighbours says he had stopped taking medications for his mental health issues three months before the fire. Fire broke out in the suite rented by Jason Zabos at 12:45 a.m. on Jan. 26, 2024. Flames tore through the building located at 10745 79 Ave. Seven other residents of the building including a toddler were hospitalized. All of the residents in the building lost their homes and belongings. The body of Ricardo Olivares, 70, was found in the charred remains of his suite on April 22, 2024. On the morning the fire broke out, police had been on scene for eight hours attempting to serve Zabos an eviction notice. Earlier in the trial court heard that Zabos had made a post on Facebook days before the fire broke out threatening to burn down the building. An Edmonton Police Service SWAT officer testified that he saw Zabos throw what looked like a Molotov cocktail before the fire started. Zabos takes the stand On Friday Zabos took the stand as a witness for the defence. He told court he had been taking medication for mental health issues, including major depressive disorder and a personality disorder, but stopped taking the medicine on Oct. 23, 2023, after he received a notice from his landlord that his lease would not be renewed. “It was making me too tired and I couldn’t defend myself. I felt like I was vulnerable,” Zabos told the defence when asked why he stopped taking his medication. He testified that he believed neighbours, people from social agencies, and other unknown people had been breaking into his apartment throughout the year leading up to the fire. He said he hadn’t left his apartment for nearly seven months leading up to the fire after he came home and found a balloon on the floor in his living room, adding that a friend brought food to his apartment. Several days before the fire broke out a judge granted an eviction order against Zabos. He testified that he didn’t believe the court order was valid. Standoff and fire On the night of the fire Zabos testified that he was inside his suite with vice grips on the deadbolt, a measure he had taken after the eviction hearing. He said he texted with police officers outside his suite when they arrived the afternoon before and livestreamed on his social media about the standoff for a time before stopping because he was “really, really scared.” Zabos said he was in his bedroom brushing his cat when he heard a loud sawing noise. He said his cat ran away and he saw white flashes in the closet where he thinks he had lithium ion batteries and electronics stored. He said he looked out his bedroom door and saw SWAT officers sawing down his front door, so he locked the bedroom door from the inside. Zabos testified that an officer kicked in the bedroom door and used a Taser on him and he fell to the ground. While he was lying on the floor he said he heard an officer say, “‘Oh f***, we started a fire.’” He says he was dragged out of the apartment after that and taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, adding he only saw the fire when police started to drag him outside and it wasn’t very big. His lawyer asked him if he had started the fire and he said no. He also said he didn’t plan to start a fire. He then testified that the cat must have tripped over a power bar in his closet and started a fire with the lithium ion batteries that were charging there. A fire investigator testified earlier in the trial that there was no evidence that a lithium ion battery had started the fire. Zabos is charged with manslaughter and arson with disregard for human life in the fire. His trial will continue on Monday when he will be cross examined by the Crown. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson
