VALPARAISO — The girlfriend of 51-year-old Jesse Chabes, who is charged with murdering the woman's mother this week by starting an apartment fire in Portage, had earlier told a friend she was afraid of Chabes and feared for her life, according to newly-released details in the case.
The friend described Chabes "as jealous and always wants to know where (the girlfriend) is," a charging document reads.
Chabes, who is listed as being from Gary and Hobart, is charged with murder, murder in perpetration of arson, arson and intimidation, records show.
He is accused of murdering 87-year-old Maria Leal by starting a fire early Tuesday at the apartment she shared with her daughter in the 3300 block of Willowdale Court in Portage.
Leal reportedly died as a result of smoke inhalation.
The girlfriend told officers she and Chabes had been to a Lake Station bar earlier during the evening in question and following an argument, Chabes left in her vehicle and she received a ride to another bar in Portage, according to a court document.
She then began receiving numerous calls from Chabes shortly after 11 p.m. Monday and when her friend answered the phone, Chabes said he was going to burn down the house where his girlfriend lived with her mother, police said.
When the friend told Chabes he was not going to burn down the house, he reportedly replied multiple times, "watch me."
The girlfriend then received a call from a family member around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday that her mother's apartment was on fire, police said.
Police located Chabes driving near the site of the fire and he denied setting the blaze, according to court records.
The girlfriend reportedly told police she keeps her bedroom window unlocked so Chabes can come and go without disturbing her mother. She also said she had recently placed two full bottles of lighter fluid on the patio of the apartment.
A trained dog revealed several spots of accelerant within the girlfriend's bedroom and investigators found a bottle of lighter fluid on the ground of the patio nearly empty, police said.
Chabes is scheduled to appear Tuesday for an initial court hearing before Porter Circuit Court Judge Mary DeBoer.