By Carlos Alcalá
calcala@sacbee.com
A monthlong fire investigation has led to the arrest of a woman suspected of setting fire to an occupied motor home, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials said today.
Sac Metro firefighters responded to a reported vehicle fire May 27 on Den Avenue, off Stockton Boulevard south of the Florin Mall area.
Fire officials say they believe a fire this morning at a Florin Road home was arson and occurred as part of a burglary.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews responded to a report of a couch fire in the 8500 block of Florin Road at 8:10 a.m. They arrived to find smoke coming from a two-story home. Inside, they found a couch fully engulfed.
The fire was extinguished and the couch was removed from the house, but the first floor of the home suffered extensive smoke damage, according to a fire district news release. No injuries were reported,
A Sacramento Superior Court jury has convicted Jose Duarte of first-degree murder in the 2008 death of a 20-year-old woman in her south Natomas apartment.
On Aug. 10, 2008, Alicia Ray was found dead in her apartment on West El Camino Avenue. The apartment had been set on fire and Ray's body was found naked and severely burned with binding around her neck. The cause of death was determined to be strangulation, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.
Officials said Duarte, 24, and Ray had a previous sexual relationship. On the night of the murder, Duarte went to Ray's apartment after he got off work. He gave law-enforcement officers conflicting statements about what happened that night and denied any involvement in killing Ray.
A Placer County homeless man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly set fire to another homeless man's tent Tuesday night, causing second-degree burns to the victim, the Placer County Sheriff's Department reported.
Raymond Carrillo, 39, left, was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Placer County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and arson, online jail booking logs show. He is ineligible for bail.
Carillo and the victim, Timmy Swensen, 50, reportedly argued Tuesday night in a field near Highway 49 and Luther Road, where they were camping with others, according to a sheriff's department release. After the argument, the sheriff's department reported, Carillo allegedly threw an accelerent into Swensen's tent and lit it on fire, causing second-degree burns to Swensen's face, hands and legs.
Swensen later told detectives that he walked to a nearby area and laid down for the rest of the night, and then rode his bicycle to Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital the next morning. Sheriff's deputies were called to the hospital at about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, and also responded to the homeless camp, where they took Carrillo into custody, the release states.
A woman came home Friday morning and found fires started in her home and some of her possessions stolen, Sacramento police reported.
The woman returned to her Leford Way home around 11 a.m. and smelled something burning, according to the police incident log.
She discovered the carpet was on fire and a fire had been set on her stove.
A 56-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with a fire this morning that damaged the Crestwood Manor psychiatric facility.
Wendy Vergeson, an occupant of the facility, was arrested a few hours after the fire on suspicion of arson and is being held in Sacramento County Jail, a Sacramento Fire Department news release states.
The fire broke out at 7:25 a.m. at the psychiatric facility at 2600 Stockton Blvd. It was contained to one room due to activation of the fire sprinkler system and fast action by firefighters, fire officials said.
The North Highlands house fire in which firefighters found the bodies of a 37-year-old woman and her 8-year-old son on April 6 was an act of arson, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District investigators have concluded.
Laura Fernandez and Wilfred Villarruel were found dead in the burning home by crews that had responded to the 4000 block of Stephens Drive at about 8 p.m.
The cause of their deaths is still listed on the Sacramento County Coroner's Office website as undetermined, as the office awaits test results to determine what killed them.
By Bill Lindelof
Elk Grove police say a man tried to burn his father garage using vodka as fuel.
Police said that Kanwarjit Singh Kalotia, 43, went to his father's home in the 8400 block of Water Poppy Way about 11 a.m. Tuesday in violation of a court protective order.
When his father, Bhagwant Kalotia, 72, tried to drive away, his son got into the older man's vehicle armed with a handsaw.
By Denny Walsh and Sam Stanton
dwalsh@sacbee.com
Alexander Piggee pleaded guilty today to setting the massive Oct. 21 arson blaze at the Westfield Galleria in Roseville and likely will face 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 24.
The 24-year-old Sacramento man pleaded guilty to two arson counts in U.S. District Court in Sacramento this morning, one involving the $55 million Galleria blaze and the other for a minor fire he set at a North Highlands Walmart earlier that day.
Piggee could have faced up to 20 years in prison on each count, but federal prosecutors say they plan to ask that he be sentenced to two five-year terms to be served consecutively. Piggee also has agreed to plead guilty in Sacramento Superior Court to setting a blaze that damaged his grandmother's Oak Park home in the weeks before the Galleria fire. The District Attorney's office has agreed to recommend that any sentence he receive in that case be served concurrently with his federal time.
Bee staff
The Council on American-Islamic Relations has offered a $5,000 reward after two Sikh men were gunned down while walking in Elk Grove.
The executive director of the council's Sacramento Valley chapter noted that Sikh men in beards and turbans are often targeted by those who mistake them for Muslims. "The Muslim community offers its condolences and support to the Sikh community in this time of sorrow," Basim Elkarra said.
Elk Grove police said Sunday they didn't have new information to release about the shootings that shocked the community. Both victims were frail from heart attacks and advancing years and they slowly ambled through a quiet Elk Grove neighborhood during their daily afternoon walk.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Woodland police have announced a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to a conviction in an arson case in which a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the residence of an elderly woman.
The incident occurred shortly before midnight Dec. 26 when someone threw the device at a residence in the 500 block of West Keystone Ave. The two occupants, a 102-year-old woman and her caretaker, were rescued by members of the Woodland Police Department.
The fire caused extensive damage to the residence.
By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com
Rocklin Police says the young man who scared the life out of his neighbors Sunday with a homemade explosive was an unskilled amateur chemist, but not a terrorist.
"It's our opinion -- at this time -- it's really a kid screwing around to a higher magnitude than we are used to," said Lt. Terry Roide.
Ryan William Linn, 25, of Rocklin, is being held in the Placer County's jail without bail as a result of the Feb. 13 explosion.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A no-bail felony warrant has been issued for Lovie James (left), suspected by Elk Grove police of beating his roommate and then threatening to burn down her home.
James, 52, allegedly punched his 69-year-old roommate in the face and choked her when she tried to evict him Feb. 4.
Police said he also poured gasoline inside the residence in the 8700 block of Lewie Way and threatened to commit arson.
Bee photo: Firefighters respond to the Roseville Galleria blaze on Oct. 21 of last year.
Bee staff
Alexander Piggee was arraigned today in U.S. District Court on two counts of arson stemming from the Oct. 21 fire that burned part of the Westfield Galleria in Roseville and a minor fire at a North Highlands Walmart.
Through his attorney, Johnny Griffin III, Piggee entered a plea of not guilty.
He is being detained without bail in federal custody. He was being held in the Placer County jail on charges related to the Galleria fire, but those charges were dismissed Tuesday after the case was moved to federal jurisdiction.
Piggee is scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on March 8.
Photo Gallery: Westfield Galleria in Roseville
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
The man arrested on suspicion of arson in the two October fires, including one that caused more than $55 million in damage to the Roseville Galleria, has been federally charged with arson.
Charges filed in Placer County will be dismissed, the U.S. attorney in Sacramento said.
A federal grand jury in Sacramento returned an indictment charging Alexander Piggee, 23, of Sacramento with two counts of arson for causing fires that damaged the Westfield Galleria Mall in Roseville and a Wal-Mart store on Antelope Road in Sacramento County. Both fires occurred Oct. 21.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Police need help in finding who set fire to a portable classroom in Antelope on Sunday.
Somebody broke a window and entered a classroom at Antelope View Charter School, 3243 Center Court Lane, about 2 a.m. on Sunday before lighting the room on fire. Fire damaged carpeting, walls and a window.
No suspect information is available and there is no security camera video of the break-in. The Twin Rivers Police Department urges anyone with information to contact the Arson Tip Line at (916) 859-3775.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Arson is blamed for one early morning fire in Carmichael and not been ruled out in a second blaze that happened in North Highlands.
The first fire in two units of a vacant four-unit building at 6041 Northcrest Circle in Carmichael was reported at 12:46 a.m.
Fire investigators have ruled the fire was caused by an arsonist.
By Diana Lambert
dlambert@sacbee.com
Sacramento Fire Department investigators Saturday arrested a man they suspect set his apartment on fire, causing $50,000 in damage.
David James Woodward, 23, is being held at the Sacramento County jail on suspicion of felony arson, according to reports. His bail was set at $180,000.
Woodward was arrested after a fire began in a unit at Stanford Garden Apartments, 3150 Notre Dame Drive.
No one was injured.
Call The Bee's Diana Lambert, (916) 321-1090.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A Citrus Heights woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson, accused of setting fire to her own home.
Amy Gail Silva, 38, is being held in Sacramento County Main Jail without bail.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman Capt. Christian Pebbles said firefighters were called to the home Silva owns and occupies in the 5500 block of Cedar Creek Way at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. He said the fire department's arson unit and the Citrus Heights Police Department conducted a joint investigation into the origin and cause of the fire. They determined that it started in the living area of the house and had been deliberately set.
The fire was quickly controlled and no one was injured. Damage to the residence was estimated at $50,000.
Pebbles said Silva was at the residence at the time and was taken into custody on suspicion of arson to an inhabited dwelling.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
Galt police seek the public's help identifying two men involved in an early Wednesday arson that damaged the women's restroom at the Galt Market.
The incident occurred at 3:45 a.m. at the market at 905 Meladee Lane. Damage to the restroom was estimated at $15,000.
The images of the men, described as in the early 20s, were caught on video surveillance.
Anyone with information about the crime or the suspects is asked to call the Galt Police Department at (209) 366-7000.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
Robert Durst told police he was "in a drunken stupor" when he turned on a gas valve in a vacant house next door and put a candle next to it. He also told police that he felt "really bad" after four Sacramento city firefighters were injured when they walked into the house and it exploded.
Durst's statement to investigators was made public today after Sacramento Superior Court Judge Greta Curtis Fall ordered him to stand trial on six felony counts in the July 5 gas explosion that sent the four firefighters to the hospital. All of them survived.
The judge scheduled Durst's trial for Jan. 13.
Detectives questioned Durst on July 20, several hours after he was arrested in the explosion at the house next door to his 25th Avenue home in Oak Park.
Defense attorney Jennifer Schiavo tried to have the statement suppressed during Durst's preliminary hearing on grounds that he allegedly was not properly advised of his rights by the detectives who questioned him. Fall turned back that motion today.
"I did it in a drunken stupor," Durst told the detectives, saying that he'd been drinking all day at the river and then came home and had three more beers and a half-pint of liquor. He said he'd been arguing with his wife and that he also was upset with the owners of the vacant house.
Testimony at trial showed he was in a dispute with them over the bill he gave them for plumbing work he had performed for them last year.
Durst said he went up onto his roof to watch fireworks the night of the Fourth of July and that he became "pissed off and irritated."
He said he then got the idea to start the fire at the neighbors' house by turning on the gas and setting his stepdaughter's decorative slow-burning candle not far from the valve.
"I was trying to cause some damage," Durst told the police, according to the transcript of his interview filed as an exhibit in the preliminary hearing.
According to the transcript, Durst said all he intended to do was "burn the roof up, burn the ceiling and burn the carpet." He said that all the windows in the house were closed and "that's where I went wrong."
It was the gas accumulation that led to the explosion that injured the firefighters when they went into the house several hours after Durst said he lit the candle.
"Like, (I) should have left the back door open or something," Durst told the police. "I just think it wouldn't have blown up, I don't know...It would have smothered out."
He admitted to taking the water heater and ceiling fan out of the house. He's alos accused of theft and receiving stolen property on those items in the criminal complaint.
Durst told the detectives he was upset when he learned that the firefighters were hurt.
"I feel really bad, I mean, I wish I could do over..., break the glass or something....Never never, never, never in a million years did I think about doing something like that."
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com
Suspected Roseville Galleria Mall arsonist Alexander Piggee was back in court Monday, but the question of whether he's mentally fit for trial still looms.
Of the five reports from hospitals that had interactions with the 23-year-old homeless man, three - Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Woodland Memorial Hospital and Mercy San Juan Medical Center - and Twin Rivers School District have submitted documents to the courts, said Piggee's attorney Johnny Griffin III. Reports from the Kaiser hospital system and a Stockton-area hospital are expected to be received this week.
Piggee is accused of walking into the GameStop at Roseville's Westfield Galleria on Oct. 21, telling the clerk he had a bomb and a gun, then setting a fire in the store.
He is charged with aggravated arson, arson of a structure, two counts of threats to commit crimes resulting in death, and one count of burglary. He also faces a special allegation of using an accelerant to commit arson. Today's status hearing at the jail courthouse in Auburn lasted about 15 minutes.
Court officials said a doctor has been selected to do the evaluation, but he or she was not named.
The process of evaluating Piggee's mental state could take months. If he's found to be incompetent, he would be admitted to a psychiatric facility and held until he is deemed able to face trial.
Call The Bee's Ed Fletcher, (916) 321-1269.
By Robert D. Dávila
bdavila@sacbee.com
Arson investigators arrested a 24-year-old man today in connection with a rash of recent 
fires set in vehicles parked in driveways in the Southwoods Park area of Sacramento County, near French and Gerber roads.
Samuel Jones Jr. (left) was booked at Sacramento County jail on two counts of felony arson and one count of possessing a firebomb, according to the Sheriff's Department website. Bail was set at $1 million.
Jones was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to vehicles in the early morning hours during the last three months, according to a news release by the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
He is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court.
Call The Bee's Robert D. Dávila, (916) 321-1077.
By Chelsea Phua
cphua@sacbee.com
Sacramento Fire Department arson investigators are asking the public for help in identifying and finding two "people of interest" who may be involved in a commercial structure fire in east Sacramento.
Fire officials said the fire took place at 4:45 a.m. Oct. 13 at the Bisla's Sports Bar, 7042 Folsom Blvd.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Arson Tip Line at (916) 808-8732 or Crime Alert at 1-800-AA-CRIME or e-mail wanted@crimealert.org
Photos provided by Sacramento Fire Department
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
Bee Staff
Roseville authorities are investigating the unauthorized release of photos of the burned interior of the Westfield Galleria in Roseville, saying they appear to have been leaked by emergency response officials working inside the mall.
City spokeswoman Megan MacPherson said city workers had taken video from inside the structure earlier today and had hoped to release it but were holding off because Westfield officials had not yet been able to get inside to see the damage for themselves.
However, three photos that appear to have been taken by a cell phone camera were leaked in an anonymous email to KCRA and posted on the station's website.
MacPherson said only emergency personnel and city officials have been allowed inside the mall and that officials are looking into how the photos were released. She added that the photos did not come from the video city officials took earlier.
By Ryan Lillis
rlillis@sacbee.com
The suspect in the Roseville Galleria fire may be connected to two arsons in Antelope in the past day, a source has told The Bee.
Follow this developing news story here.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1061.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A man sleeping in his SUV was awakened by flames this morning when someone tried to burn the vehicle, Sacramento police said.
The attack occurred about 7:30 a.m. today in the 2700 block of Ringgold Street near Broadway and Fifth Street.
A man was sleeping in his vehicle when someone left next to it what police described as an incendiary device.
The SUV sustained minor damage. The man was not injured.
Police are investigating the motivation behind the attack. Police said that the man earlier had a disagreement with at least one other person.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A Sacramento County teenager has been arrested on suspicion of setting fires to land near Rancho Murieta earlier this month.
Cameron W. Warmby (left), 18, of Wilton was arrested on suspicion of arson.
Warmby was booked into Sacramento County Jail Tuesday on suspicion of nine counts of arson to wildland and seven counts of using an incendiary device, according to a news release from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fires Warmby is suspected of starting occurred during the early morning hours of Sept. 19 near Rancho Murrieta. The fires were quickly put out by Cal Fire and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
In response to a recent series of arson incidents, two teams of Sacramento County probation officers and members of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arson unit conducted a countywide probation search today.
The search targeted people whose probation status is related to the crime of arson, according to a fire district news release. Eight individuals were contacted and one adult arrested on outstanding warrants.
Probation officers will request two additional arrest warrants as a result of the searches, officials said.
Fire officials seek the public's assistance in identifying the people responsible for the recent arsons. Anyone with information related to a deliberately set or suspicion fire is asked to call the Arson Tip Line at (916) 859-3775.
Officials offered several tips to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of arson:
• Secure and monitor unoccupied and abandoned buildings.
• Remove or securely store flammable material and chemicals from your business or home.
• Lock your doors and windows.
• Report suspicious people and activity to law enforcement officials.
• Support local Neighborhood Watch programs.
• Illuminate the exterior and entrances of buildings.
• At schools, remove garbage cans daily during non-school hours. Garbage has been used as an ignition source for arson fires or to keep an unwelcome visitor warm. Keep dumpsters at least 10 feet away from buildings and roof overhangs. Make sure all discarded materials are placed inside the containers and padlock them.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A former resident of India who twice unlawfully entered the United States has been sentenced to three years in state prison for the 1994 arson of his Folsom liquor store.
In 1995, Kashmir Singh was convicted of arson in a jury trial but was released on bond and then failed to appear for his sentencing in August of that year, according to a Sacramento County District Attorney's Office news release.
While Singh, now 48, was a fugitive, the district attorney filed additional charges against him for failing to appear in court.
On Oct. 15, 1994, Singh's Folsom liquor store burst into flames moments after Singh had set the store's alarm, locked the door and left the store, officials said. Investigators determined that the fire had been started inside the store with a flammable liquid and spread to the store's roof, where someone had poured additional flammable liquids.
Singh entered the United States unlawfully and testified at his jury trial that he would not have committed the arson because he would not risk deportation back to India. He testified that, if returned to India, he believed he would be killed for political reasons.
Singh was released on a $200,000 bond in the arson case but failed to appear for his sentencing. Instead, officials said, he fled to India, where he lived until 2002, when he again unlawfully entered the United States.
In 2003, the FBI discovered that Singh used an alias to apply for a hearing on his immigration status. He failed to appear for his hearing and remained at large until he surrendered to the FBI on April 2, 2009.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District investigators are looking into small grass fires set overnight in the Antelope area.
The four fires burned small patches of dry grass and did not damage any structures.
The arson fires occurred between 11:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. in the area near Antelope Road and Don Julio Boulevard, according to a district spokesman.
They do not appear to be linked to recent arson fires in North Highlands.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A fire that burned outbuildings and equipment on former ranch property in Elk Grove early this morning was deliberately set, according to fire investigators.
Deputy Chief John Michelini of the Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department said the fire that burned about 1-1/2 acres in the 6200 block of Calvine Road was reported about 4 a.m. It involved a multitude of dilapidated outbuildings, tools and equipment, and was brought under control in about an hour.
Michelini said arson investigators determined that fires were started at several locations on the property but have not identified what type of device or devices were used.
"We have no reason to believe that this is related to arsons in the north county or Carmichael areas," he said.
Michelini said the property once included a small house and ranch operations, but it had been abandoned and had been declared uninhabitable by city code enforcement officers.
Because arson is often used to cover up other crimes, Michelini said, a cadaver dog was brought in to search the site to make sure there were no victims.
He said the fire department was working with Elk Grove code enforcement officers and county hazardous materials officials to handle removal of containers of unidentified liquids and other potentially hazardous materials on the property.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Miranda Simon
msimon@sacbee.com
Six fires, that the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District believes to be arson, were reported overnight.
"We're not linking them to anything," said said Assistant Fire Chief Brian Rice. "There's a huge concern that there some copycat activity going on."
Rice said he is gathering with investigators to determine the cause and will be releasing more details later.
Call The Bee's Miranda Simon, (916) 321-1119.
By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
Firefighters responded to a series of related overnight arson fires that involved two abandoned buildings and three dumpsters near Watt Avenue and Roseville Road in North Highlands.
The first arson fire, reported at 8:16 p.m. Saturday night, burned brush and part of an abandoned building in the 4600 block of Watt Avenue, causing minor damage.
While crews were fighting that fire, a citizen reported a second fire - a dumpster behind a building on the same block.
A few hours later, firefighters returned to the dumpster area after receiving a report of a mattress fire at the scene.
Then, at about 10:20 p.m., a dumpster was set on fire in the alley at Watt Avenue and A Street, only about 200 feet from a fire station.
Today, at 5:40 a.m., fire crews responded to a reported commercial structure fire in the 5000 block of Roseville Road.
The structure, an abandoned house, had been part of a one-time business and was well involved when firefighters arrived.
There were no injuries.
The district's arson investigators believe the fires to be related. Anyone with information about them is asked to call the arson tip line at (916) 859-3775.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A dozen small fires set overnight by an arsonist in Carmichael didn't do much damage, but firefighters say it could have been much worse.
"This is all indicative of a person running around a specific area during a specific time, deliberately wreaking havoc," said Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman Capt. Christian Pebbles
Pebbles said that an arson fire set in the early morning hours is especially dangerous because people might not wake up until it is too late.
The fires were set over a four-hour period and were within about a 2-mile radius:
-- 12:47 a.m. at Winston Churchill Middle School, 4900 Whitney Avenue. Fire outside restrooms in which wooden tree stakes were set on fire. Damage was minor.
-- 2:23 a.m. at 4809 Marconi Ave., trees and some fencing involved. Five different fires set.
-- 2:32 a.m. at Marconi Avenue and Root Avenue, small fire.
-- 3:14 a.m. at North Avenue and McCowan Way, a small fence fire nearly spread to a home but a Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy noticed the fire early-on.
-- 3:28 a.m. at 6317 and 6330 Kenneth Avenue, two separate fires set on fencing.
-- 3:56 a.m. a pickup truck fire at 4735 Marconi Avenue.
-- 4:12 a.m. a fence fire at 4801 Marconi Avenue.
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arson tip line is (916) 859-3775.
"This is a felony," Pebbles said. "We hope we catch this person and throw him in prison."
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento firefighters were called to a suspected arson fire inside an apartment leasing office this morning in Natomas.
A Sacramento Fire Department spokesman said the fire was in the office at the Granite Point Apartment in the 4500 block of Truxel Road.
The 6:45 a.m. fire did minimal damage to the structure of the office and was mostly confined to office contents. It appears someone broke into the office, and authorities say they believe the fire was caused by an arsonist.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Miranda Simon
msimon@sacbee.com
Sacramento police are investigating the homicide of a 50-year-old man whose mutilated body was found in an apartment fire in the 900 block of North Avenue early Saturday.
The Sacramento County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Arun Kumar Singh.
Neighbors and friends of the victim's 23-year-old daughter said the man's arms and legs had been cut off, and his chest set on fire.
Police would not confirm that Singh was dismembered, saying only that there was "some mutilation," and said two set fires in the building were linked to the homicide.
In a news release, police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said: "Detectives believe that the male was murdered. The cause of death and the motive for the murder has yet to be determined."
Erika Knight, 20, who lives in a unit upstairs at the North Avenue Apartments, made the gruesome discovery, with others in the building.
"I see the smoke coming out the door, a neighbor of mine opened the door, and we discovered his body was laying there and a heck of a lot of smoke. It was just a disaster," she said.
"The body was laying there burning," Knight said.
The Sacramento Fire Department arrived at the apartment fire in Del Paso Heights at 2:46 a.m. Police were called for assistance.
A second, small stairwell fire was reported while police and firefighters were on the scene. "We believe both fires are arsons and are related to the homicide," said Leong. "Obviously, the big question is why," he said.
Knight and her sister, Rocshell Daughton, 21, as well as another neighbor and a maintenance worker, came out when the fire alarm went off.
"We didn't know it was that apartment. We just saw smoke coming out," said Daughton, who was visiting her sister.
The neighbor in the unit facing the fire kicked in the door and found the body, said Daughton.
"The man's chest was on fire so we tried to get the fire extinguishers, but they weren't working, so the maintenance guy went to get the water hose and put the fire out."
Singh didn't live in the apartment, but regularly visited his daughter, who lives there with her child, her roommate and the roommate's two children, Knight said.
She said the daughter was not at the apartment Friday night and that she called to notify the woman that her father was dead.
"I spoke to him a few times," Knight said of Singh. "He's cool, he's a sweet guy, he wouldn't harm anything or anybody."
She said Singh fixed radios and VCRs and also cleaned apartments around the complex, even though "it was not his job."
"He visits his daughter, he visits his granddaughter, takes his granddaughter for walks.
"He's just a regular guy, and I don't understand why anybody would do something like that to him," Knight said.
Sacramento fire officials said fire sprinklers limited the damage to one apartment. There were no reported injuries to firefighters or the residents who entered the apartment.
Homicide detectives, crime scene investigators and arson investigators are working to gather more evidence, Leong said.
The Sacramento Police Department asks anyone with information to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter SACTIP followed by the tip information.
Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000.
Call The Bee's Miranda Simon, (916) 321-1119.
By Laurel Rosenhall
lrosenhall@sacbee.com
Authorities are investigating a suspected arson fire discovered on the UC Davis campus this morning.
A garbage truck driver passing the east side of the Memorial Union at 5:41 a.m. noticed a Bank of America ATM on fire, said UC Davis fire department spokesman Paul Pfotenhauer. The campus police and fire departments responded, quickly extinguished the fire and determined it was likely started by an arsonist, Pfotenhauer said. No one was injured, and no money was stolen.
Because the ATM is owned by a bank, the incident is being investigated as a federal crime, Pfotenhauer said. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are involved in the investigation, he said.
Authorities are looking for clues on footage from the ATM's security camera.
"A big part of this is to find out what kind of accelerant was used, and then to look at the security camera," Pfotenhauer said. "Is this a student? ... Was the material thrown from a distance? That kind of thing."
All ATMs on the east side of the Memorial Union will be shut down for the day. ATMs on other parts of the Davis campus are unaffected.
Call The Bee's Laurel Rosenhall, (916) 321-1083.
By Bill Lindelof and Cathy Locke
blindelof@sacbee.com
Arson is suspected in a fire that caused a power outage at approximately 12,000 residences and businesses in southern parts of Sacramento on Tuesday night, a Fire Department spokesman said today.
The outage occurred at 9:07 p.m., about the time a fire was reported at 35th Avenue and South Land Park Drive, at a city water drain station, Sacramento Fire Department officials said.
Arson investigators say the fire apparently was set, said Capt. Jonathan Burgess, fire department spokesman.
In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, Burgess said an inspection and investigation by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District and fire investigators determined that the fire started on the ground on or near a mattress. Burgess said SMUD officials reported that transformers in the area were tested and found to be intact and functioning properly.
According to fire investigators, the fire spread up trees and came in contact with power lines.
Because of the power loss, fire crews had to be alerted by telephone. Firefighters at a station nearby at 43rd Avenue and Gloria Drive saw the glow of the fire and responded to the blaze, which was quickly extinguished, fire officials said.
The fire was reported first to be burning in a trash bin. However, firefighters soon learned that trees were on fire, Burgess said. A small portion of the fence around the water station also was burned.
Power was out for about 12,000 SMUD customers in the South Land Park, Pocket and Greenhaven for nearly two hours.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
The Oak Park man accused of blowing up his neighbor's house and injuring four Sacramento firefighters is facing at least 17 years in prison if he is convicted on all the charges that prosecutors filed against him today.
![vs7c[1].jpg](http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/vs7c%5B1%5D.jpg)
Robert William Durst (photo left) confirmed his name but said nothing else at his Sacramento Superior Court arraignment while Judge Michael A. Savage read the six-count complaint against him.
The 44-year-old defendant is accused in the complaint of arson causing great bodily injury to the firefighters in the July 5 explosion at a house on 25th Avenue. Sentencing enhancements added to the first count include injuring multiple people, injuring firefighters and causing the fire with a delayed ignition device - in this instance, a lit candle placed close to an open gas valve.
Other counts in the complaint include second-degree burglary, being an ex-felon in possession of a firearm, a later second-degree burglary of the same house on an unspecified date after the explosion, possession of stolen ceiling fan from the second break-in and taking stolen property with a previous conviction for the same offense on his record.
Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Grippi said that if Durst is convicted on all counts "as charged," the defendant could be sentenced to 17 or 18 years in prison.
Grippi said that prosecutors are still investigating the case and that they might add some counts or seek additional sentencing enhancements that would give Durst more time in prison if he is convicted.
A handyman by trade, Durst is accused of setting off the explosion that sent four firefighters to the hospital because he was angry at the owners of the house that was torched because they owed him money for work he did on their property.
Grippi, who is in charge of the felony prosecution unit for the DA's office, said he may wind up trying the case. Assistant Public Defender Allison Edwards represented Durst at today's arraignment.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
By Bill Lindelof and Cathy Locke
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials are investigating six arson fires that have occurred in the past 24 hours.
Two of the fires occurred at structures and four were grassfires. Damage apparently was not major.
Firefighters responded about 9 a.m. to a fire at an office in the 5300 block of Madison Avenue. An arsonist had set a telephone book on fire that was against the door of the office, charring the door, investigators said Metro fire spokesman Capt. Christian Pebbles.
Another fire was reported at the front door of a vacant restaurant, Rosie's Cafe, at Auburn Boulevard and Garfield Avenue in Foothill Farms, Pebbles said.
Three of the grass fires were in the area of Bridge and Park roads, east of Watt Avenue, between Interstate 80 and Auburn Boulevard. The fourth was in the 5200 block of Hemlock Street.
Pebbles asked that anyone who has information call the arson tip line at (916) 859-3775.
"Our information is that somebody is walking the area and doing this," said Pebbles. "These are all deliberate."
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof and Matt Kawahara
blindelof@sacbee.com
A suspect has been arrested in connection with a fiery explosion earlier this month that rocked Oak Park, sending four firefighters to the hospital. Investigators said the believe a repair dispute prompted the deliberate blast, but that it wasn't intended as a trap for firefighters.
Robert William Durst (photo left), 44, was booked into Sacramento County Jail this morning on suspicion of arson causing great bodily injury, aggravated arson with prior convictions and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. (A Sacramento police spokesman said Durst was not arrested on suspicion of the charge of aggravated arson with prior convictions, although that charge was listed in booking records.)
Sacramento Fire Department officials confirmed that Durst was arrested at 3 a.m. today.
Durst's bail was set at $1 million.
Sacramento Fire Chief Ray Jones at a noon press conference for the first time provided some insight into what caused the explosion.
He and a fire department spokesman said that a gas valve in the kitchen was left open and a lit candle left inside the home apparently ignited the house just as the firefighters entered the home.
"Fire investigators had determined that a gas valve had been left open and they also found a candle on the floor of the residence,' said Jones.
Officials said that the ongoing dispute with the homeowner prompted neighbor Durst to cause the explosion and was not an effort to harm firefighters.
"At this point in the investigation, it does not appear that it was meant to be a trap," said Sgt. Norm Leong. "Based on what we have it was spawned as a furtherance of their ongoing dispute in an effort to create damage to the residence."
The dispute with the homeowner was over work that Durst performed on a sewer line at the home in 2009.
Owner Sandra Liu said she knew Durst but declined to comment further so she would not comprise the ongoing investigation. She thanked firefighters and police for their diligence.
Police said investigators served warrants Monday at two homes near the scene of an Oak Park home explosion.
After the blast on July 5 blew up the home, the four firefighters were taken to UC Davis Medical Center with burns to their faces and extremities. One was released that day but the three others were hospitalized several days before being released.
The four firefighters were injured after responding to a report of a possible gas leak.
The explosion occurred in a vacant home on the 3800 block of 25th Avenue near Martin Luther King Boulevard.
Fire officials were called to the neighborhood at 9:47 a.m. July 5 when dispatch received a call from a neighbor about a possible gas leak. Officials also received reports of someone possibly inside the home.
Firefighters turned off the gas and electricity to the house. When they forced their way through the home's front door at 9:56 a.m., an explosion blasted the firefighters and the home.
PG&E spokesman said he knew of no prior reports of trouble at the Oak Park house, which has been vacant for months and was up for rent. Neighbors reported smelling fumes emanating from the property on the Fourth of July.
The company's first word of a possible gas leak was a call from the fire department, just minutes before the explosion.
Cami Durst, the suspect's wife, in a phone interview said: "I just feel so bad for those firemen. I just thank god that nobody lost their lives."
She declined further comment.
David Peterson, 57, who lives next to the house that exploded, said that the suspect "would give you the shirt off his back, (but) if you screw him, look out."
Earl Steinackle, Peterson's housemate, said he talked to Durst's wife this morning and "she can't believe he would do something like that."
Steinackle said Durst's arrest surprised him.
"(Causing the explosion) seems out of character for him," Steinackle said.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
Previous coverage:
Sacramento Fire Department investigates whether crew followed procedures before blast - July 14, 2010
Firefighter hurt in home explosion leaves hospital - July 12, 2010
Firefighter recalls explosion chaos - July 10, 2010
Sacramento firefighters injured in home explosion recovering - July 7, 2010
Oak Park home explosion injures 4 firefighters, terrifies neighbors - July 6, 2010
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Two grass fires reported in the Rancho Cordova area this morning are being investigated as arson.
At one of the two small fires reported about 4:30 a.m. near Sunrise Boulevard and Kiefer Boulevard a burned road flare was found, possibly tossed into dry grass by an arsonist.
"They were both deliberately set," said Capt. Christian Pebbles, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman. "They were extinguished very fast."
Today's fires do not appear to be related to a string of grass fires in the same general area on Monday, authorities say. Investigators are considering the possibility that those fires were started by sparks from some kind of metal object being accidentally dragged by a vehicle.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
KCRA: Arsonist sought after Rancho Cordova fires
By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com
Illegal fireworks started dozens of fires around the region, including a grass fire in the Little Pocket area that shot embers into a residential neighborhood, fire officials said late Sunday.
"Everywhere I look there are people setting off illegal fireworks," said Capt. Chad Augustin, with the Sacramento Fire Department.
At 11 p.m., Augustin said firefighters were knocking down a grass fire that had swept along a levee in the Little Pocket and threatened homes.
The fire was near the intersection of Seamas Avenue and Riverside Boulevard, he said.
He said firefighters appeared to have brought it under control.
Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.
By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com
Sacramento fire officials said a blaze at a city corporation yard Sunday afternoon is under investigation and deemed suspicious.
The fire at the city facility near 24th Street and Fruitridge Road burned a metal building, several city vehicles and a truck, said Capt. Chad Augustin, with the Sacramento Fire Department.
Investigators were calling the fire suspicious because no one was working in the building at the time of the fire, at about 3:50 p.m.
Firefighters knocked down the fire in about 20 minutes, he said. There were no injuries.
Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.
By Carrie Peyton Dahlberg
cpeytondahlberg@sacbee.com
A fire apparently started by fireworks damaged the front deck of an Auburn home early this morning, and police are investigating it as an arson.
The "incendiary" firework was placed on the deck near the front door of a Homestead Way residence, and did significant damage to the deck, Auburn police said in a press release.
No one was injured, and the residents were not home when a paper carrier reported the fire just before 4 a.m., police said.
Call The Bee's Carrie Peyton Dahlberg, (916) 321-1086.
By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com
Federal arson officials and local authorities are investigating a suspicious blaze that gutted the Broderick Christian Center today.
The center helps hundreds of homeless and low-income residents in one of West Sacramento's roughest neighborhoods.
The fire at the center's day shelter followed several acts of vandalism in recent days. Someone slashed tires, smashed windows and poured oil on a half-dozen vans and buses at the center, said Alvin Lewis Jr., executive director of the United Christian Centers of the Greater Sacramento Area, which runs the Broderick shelter.
Those attacks occurred late Thursday and Saturday. At 9:40 a.m. Sunday, the center's day shelter erupted in flames after what witnesses described as an explosion, said Battalion Chief Steven Binns, of the West Sacramento Fire Department.
By the time firefighters arrived minutes later, the building was fully engulfed.
"The first units on scene encountered heavy fire coming from multiple windows on three sides of the building," Binns said. "They made an aggressive interior attack and were able to knock the fire down, but the building's a total loss."
Binns said at his request, agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms began arriving Sunday to investigate and others would be flying in this morning. They will join local police and arson investigators.
Officials said federal ATF agents are called in on church-related arson cases to help determine how the fires occurred and to investigate if they have elements of hate crimes. The Broderick Christian Center is supported by the American Baptist Churches USA.
Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.
By Chelsea Phua and Bill Lindelof
cphua@sacbee.com
Fire officials have arrested a woman suspected of starting fires Thursday night along the north and south banks of the American River Bike trail, officials report.
Sacramento Fire Department Arson Investigators and Sacramento County Park Rangers arested Evangeline Deutsch, 39, who is homeless, on suspicion of committing arson.
The fires, reported about 8 p.m., burned for a half-mile near Highway 160, said Capt. Jim Doucette of the Sacramento Fire Department. Seventy-five firefighters battled the blazes, which were extinguished about 9:30 p.m.
Initially, officials had been looking for two people, a man and a woman on bikes.
Crews from the Sacramento Metro Fire District and West Sacramento Fire Department helped the Sacramento Fire Department battle the fires. There were no injuries reported.
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A man arrested Sunday night by Citrus Heights police is suspected of trying to burn a house of worship.
Jose Louis Orduno (left), 44, was arrested on several charges in connection with the alleged attempted arson of the Jehovah Witness Kingdom Hall at 6965 Sylvan Road in Citrus Heights. Police were called to the incident at 7 a.m. Sunday.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District investigators say they suspect that Orduno ignited a flammable liquid at the church but that it burned out before the structure was damaged.
A joint investigation by police and the fire district's arson unit led to Orduno's arrest.
He was booked into Sacramento County Jail at 11:30 p.m. on charges of threats to commit a crime that could cause death or injury, possession of a firebomb, attempted arson, terrorism using a symbol and interfering with civil rights.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento police have arrested a man on suspicion of arson after they say he attempted to set his former home on fire.
James Haskell, 51, was arrested on suspicion of arson and threatening to commit a crime resulting in great bodily injury.
Police were called to a residence Sunday afternoon after they received reports of a man pouring gasoline around a house and setting a fence on fire. They also were told that the man was armed with a knife and was chasing people.
Police said they found Haskell unarmed in the front yard of the residence in the 3100 block of 66th Avenue in south Sacramento. Haskell allegedly screamed at police, imploring them to shoot him.
Haskell, who police said appeared intoxicated, subsequently was arrested.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
A North Highlands man who told fire officials that he was overwhelmed by house repairs has been arrested on suspicion of arson.
Firefighters were called to a structure fire in the 620 block of Melrose Drive, North Highlands, on Thursday. After the fire was extinguished, a fire investigator determined that the blaze had been deliberately set, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.
In subsequent interviews, fire officials said, resident Jeffery Verplank, 43, admitted he was responsible for the fire, which was set to collect an insurance settlement.
Verplank was arrested on suspicion of arson to an inhabited structure and the use of an accelerant.
He is being held in Sacramento County Jail. Bail is set at $75,000.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento Fire Department investigators have arrested a teen for setting a fire in a restroom over the weekend at a South Sacramento school.
The 16-year-old boy was identified by security video. He is not being named because he is a juvenile. Two other teens who may also be involved have still not been identified.
The restroom at Collis P. Huntington Elementary School suffered minor damage in the blaze on Sunday.
Sacramento Unified School District police Sgt. Vince Matranga said that at about 5 p.m. three teens were on the Huntington school campus, 5921 26th Street, near Sacramento Executive Airport.
One of the teens discovered that a door to a school restroom had been left unlocked. The teen went inside and set paper towels in a metal trash can on fire.
The heat and smoke set off a sensor and alerted the Sacramento Fire Department. Only smoke damage was sustained in the fire.
The restroom is in the northeast corner of the school cafeteria.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Sacramento Crime Alert at (916) 443-4357.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
A teenager has been arrested in Elk Grove on suspicion of setting five fires in two days last week.
The 13-year-old boy is suspected of starting two fires at the Spaghetti Factory restaurant on Laguna Boulevard on May 4. The following day, he is suspected of setting a grass fire on the west side of Camden Lake and fires at Joseph Kerr Middle School on Elk Grove Boulevard and Kohl's department store on Calvine Road.
No injuries were reported. Damage to structures was not extensive, fire officials said.
Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department investigators took the Elk Grove teen into custody Thursday. He was taken to Sacramento County Juvenile Hall.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento City Unified School District police are hopeful that video images will help them find who was responsible for a school restroom fire.
The fire Sunday caused minor damage to the restroom at Collis P. Huntington Elementary School at 5921 26th St., near Sacramento Executive Airport.
District police Sgt. Vince Matranga said that at about 5 p.m. three teens -- one with a skateboard, one with a basketball and a third on a bike -- were on the school campus.
One of the teens discovered that a door to a school restroom had been left unlocked, entered and set paper towels in a metal trash can on fire.
The heat and smoke set off a sensor and alerted the Sacramento Fire Department. The fire was mostly extinguished by the time firefighters arrived, Matranga said.
There was no structural damage, but the restroom interior will require repainting. The restroom is in the northeast corner of the school cafeteria.
"We were very fortunate that the walls did not catch fire, because it could have done damage to the cafeteria," Matranga said. "The fire investigator will be coming to my office today. We have some excellent shots of the juveniles."
School classes were not expected to be disrupted.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
By Cathy Locke
clocke@sacbee.com
The fire that destroyed a coffee kiosk on the University of California, Davis, campus last week is being treated as arson.
The incident is being investigated by the UC Davis Police and Fire departments and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a university news release. Items from the scene have been sent to the ATF crime lab in Sacramento.
The Cargo Coffee kiosk outside King Hall was destroyed in the fire, which was reported just before 6 a.m. Friday. No one was injured.
The ATF also is assisting in investigation of a suspicious object found Saturday at a second Cargo Coffee kiosk outside Olson Hall. The small device, which could have caused a fire similar to the one that destroyed the King Hall kiosk, was reported at 5:30 p.m. Neighboring buildings were briefly evacuated, and the Yolo County Bomb Squad was called on to deal with the device.
The privately owned kiosks are among three operated on campus through a lease with Sodexo, the campus food service provider.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 321-5287.
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
A fire that destroyed most of the Iceland Ice-Skating Rink in Sacramento last month was intentionally set, according to the Sacramento Fire Department.
Why the fire was set is still under investigation, said department spokesman Capt. Jim Doucette.
On March 28, fire collapsed the historic rink's roof and left an estimated $1 million in damage. In the days following, rink officials speculated that the fire might have been caused by a car that caught on fire at the rear of the building.
Doucette said that car fire also was deliberately set, although it's still unclear whether the two fires are connected. That remains under investigation, Doucette said.
Iceland opened on Del Paso Boulevard in 1940. In its heyday, it was the setting for ice competitions, youth hockey, weddings and other programs.
Call The Bee's Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038.
Previous coverage:
Fire destroys Iceland rink, a North Sacramento landmark for seven decades - March 29, 2010
By Bill Lindelof
blindelof@sacbee.com
Sacramento City fire investigators have determined the explosion and fire that heavily damaged a vacant home in Oak Park over the weekend was caused by an arsonist.
The arson at the home in the 3900 block of 17th Avenue occurred shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday.
It was the fifth empty house hit by fire in the area in a week.
But authorities said there is no indication that the latest incident was linked to other vacant homes that burned in recent days.
On Wednesday, two abandoned homes were hit by fire: a small abandoned home in the 7400 block of Persimmon Avenue, near Mack Road and Franklin Boulevard and an abandoned house in the 4700 block of 36th Street.
Two days earlier, across the street from the 36th Street property another vacant house was burned.
The first in the series of fires occurred Jan. 31 in a vacant house in the Fruitridge neighborhood in the 5900 block of Clover Manor Way.
Bee Staff
A man who Sacramento Sheriff's deputies were trying to serve with a domestic eviction notice, threw gasoline into one deputy's face and tried to set himself and the place where he was living on fire, according to a crime summary.
Arrested on suspicion of assaulting a peace officer, resisting arrest and attempted arson was John David Powell, 54. He is being held on $230,000 bail.
The summary gives this account:
At about 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 in the 4400 block of Old Dairy Drive, deputies found the suspect barricaded in a bedroom, holding a container of gasoline and a cigarette lighter. He threatened to torch the deputies and himself.
As the deputies forced their way into the bedroom, the suspect threw gasoline into the face of one deputy, blinding him. Other deputies also had gasoline thrown on them.
The suspect also tried to ignite the cigarette lighter but was restrained.
Several deputies were transported to a hospital for treatment from the gasoline.
Businessman Mark C. Anderson admitted in Sacramento federal court today setting a fire that burned 6 million bottles of some of California's best wines.
Anderson pleaded guilty to arson resulting in injury to two firefighters, interstate transportation of stolen property, mail fraud, use of an alias as part of a mail fraud scheme, and income tax evasion.
The 61-year-old Anderson, who was scheduled to go on trial Tuesday, changed his mind in return for an assurance by Assistant U. S. Attorney R. Steven Lapham that he will recommend a prison term of 15 years and 8 months - the bottom of the advisory guidelines range. The arson count alone carries a statutory maximum 40 years.
Anderson is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 26.
He operated a wine storage business, first in Sausalito and then in Vallejo. He torched a massive above-ground bunker on the decommissioned Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, where the products of more than 100 Napa Valley wineries were stored. He had rented space there until his eviction some months before the October 2005 fire.
There has been speculation that Anderson burned the bunker to cover his tracks on sales of clients' wine without their permission. Charges are pending against him in Marin Superior Court in connection with that matter.
Lapham said Anderson's motive for the arson was not clear to him and defense attorney Mark Reichel would not discuss it.
From Dale Kasler
A North Highlands man was arrested today in connection with two arsons at the same location 36 hours apart.
William Ashton (see photo), 36, was being held late Saturday at the Sacramento County jail in lieu of $330,000 bail after being charged with two felony counts of arson.
Capt. Christian Pebbles, spokesman for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said Ashton was arrested at 5:05 p.m. in connection with two arsons at 3430 Freedom Park Drive.
From Bill Lindelof:
Three Molotov cocktails were tossed at a Florin-area home early today, one of them breaking through an upstairs bedroom window, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials said.
The firebombing of the house in the 8800 block of Billfish Way occurred shortly after midnight, officials said. Metro Fire's arson unit and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department are investigating the incident.
The bomb tossed through the window was placed in a bathtub and extinguished by a resident The other two were thrown at the front door of the residence.
One resident suffered minor burns.
From Kim Minugh:
Roseville police are asking for the public's help in identifying the suspect or suspects responsible for a series of arson incidents at Oakmont High School.
Arson was reported at the Cirby Way campus Oct. 17, 18 and Oct. 20, according to a Roseville Crimestoppers bulletin. In the last incident, six plastic garbage cans were set on fire early in the morning, the bulletin said.
The cans were found on rooftops, in a tree, on a bench and on a sidewalk. One was completely melted by fire, the bulletin said.
Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call Roseville Crimestoppers at (916) 783-7867. Callers can remain anonymous and might be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
From Ed Fletcher
State fire officials said today they believe the 49 Fire, which destroyed 63 homes and several businesses in August, was intentionally set.
"We have ruled every other cause out," said Daniel Berlant, a Cal Fire spokesman.
To move the investigation along, the agency today announced a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.
"Arson is a very serious crime," Berlant said. "Anytime we have an arson case we take it very seriously."
Officials believe there were actually two fires set 20 minutes and a 1/4 mile apart.
The first call about a fast-moving fire at Highway 49 and Rock Creek Road came in at 2:22 p.m. Aug. 31. At 2:42 p.m., another fire 1/4 mile east was reported, officials said.
High winds quickly merged the fires, making matters much worse, Berlant said.
The fire spread across nearly 350 acres in north Auburn, off Highway 49.
Anyone with information should contact the Cal Fire Arson Hotline at 1 (800) 468-4408.
From Bill Lindelof:
The third arson in a week occurred early this morning in Sacramento, but fire officials said there is no way yet to know if the last two fires are connected.
The most recent fire occurred when an incendiary device was tossed through a window at Ramona's restaurant, 2251 Northgate Boulevard, in the Gardenland neighborhood. The fire caused minor damage, a Sacramento fire official said.
The first arson occurred Friday when a makeshift bomb was thrown through a window of a vacant home on San Diego Way in Oak Park. A suspect was arrested in that fire and remains in jail.
On Sunday, firefighters were called to a home on the same block where an arsonist set several fires at a home.
The fire in Gardenland and the last Oak Park fire could be related or the work of copycats, fire officials said. The Oak Park fires are nine miles south of the Gardenland blaze.
From Loretta Kalb:
Sacramento Fire Department firefighters responded to a suspected arson fire in a vacant Oak Park home at 6:30 a.m. today and said they found evidence of numerous intentionally set fires.
The home on the 3200 block of San Diego Way is only three homes from a similar arson case discovered on Friday.
There were no injuries, Capt. Jim Doucette said, and the fire was quickly extinguished.
On Friday, Sacramento Police arrested 23-year-old Chan Saechao in connection with a makeshift firebomb tossed through the window of the nearby home on the 3200 bock of San Diego Way. That device had quit burning by the time firefighters arrived.
Doucette said Saechao remained in jail at the time of this morning's fire. But authorities are examining whether there is a link between the two cases.
Anyone who has information is encouraged to call the Sacramento Fire Department Arson Tip Line at (916) 808-8732 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
From Ed Fletcher:
A 23-year-old Oak Park man was arrested Friday on suspicion of attempting to burn down a vacant neighboring home with a Molotov cocktail.
Chan Saechao is accused of tossing the makeshift firebomb through the window of a home in the 3200 block of San Diego Way at 4 a.m. Friday. The incendiary device had quit burning by the time firefighters arrived.
Witnesses said they saw a man running from the scene dressed in camouflage clothing. Police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong said their description led them to Saechao. A search of his home in the 4500 block of Ninth Avenue revealed Molotov cocktail-making materials, Leong said.
From Chelsea Phua
Sacramento firefighters and police responding to a report of a burglary Monday night rescued an elderly woman from her burning home in the 7300 block of Windbridge Drive, authorities said.
Fire officials said details of the incident that happened shortly before 9:40 p.m. still are not clear, but said the woman initially was confused and thought someone had broken into her home, not realizing that it was on fire.
Police officers called for the fire department and firefighters found the woman in the back bedroom. She was taken to hospital with minor injuries. A fire captain suffered a laceration to his hand during the rescue and was also taken to hospital.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, fire officials said.
From Bill Lindelof
A 15-year-old girl who fire officials said worships the devil was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of arson for setting fire to her congregation's Orangevale chapel.
Firefighters were called to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints house of worship at 7950 Hazel Ave. Tuesday morning shortly after 7 a.m. Church members had already extinguished a fire in the chapel that caused about $2,000 in damage to pews and carpet.
While firefighters began to the process of removing smoke from the chapel, investigators began interviewing LDS members. Information derived in the interviews led investigators to question the teenage girl.
The girl then allegedly admitted setting the fire, said Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Capt. Christian Pebbles.
"She said the reason she set the fire was because she hated the church and worshipped the devil," said Pebbles.
He said that there were 30-50 people on the church grounds but nobody except the arsonist was in the chapel when the fire broke out. Pebbles said that the girl reported to other LDS members that a fire was burning in the chapel.
From Bee Staff:
The Sacramento Fire Department says a playground fire at Charles Jensen Park early today was deliberately set.
In a news release, Capt. Jim Doucette said a fire investigator has determined arson caused the fire at the payground near Bing Maloney Golf Course off Freeport Boulevard.
Firefighters arrived in just over 5 minutes after the department was notified at 6:17 a.m. The fire destroyed part of the playground.
There are no suspects. Anyone with information can contact the Sacramento Fire Department Arson Tip Line at (916) 808-8732 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
From Cathy Locke
An arson fire caused an estimated $2,000 damage to a North Highlands playground this morning.
Firefighters responded to a playground next to Village Elementary School at 6845 Larchmont Drive at 6:11 a.m.
Capt. Christian Pebbles with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said several plastic slides, attached to a central platform, were destroyed, though the platform likely can be salvaged.
The fire is believed to have been deliberately set because there was no source of ignition near the slides, he said.
The investigation is continuing, and anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the Arson Tip Line at (916) 566-4320.
"It is a felony," Pebbles said. "I look at it as a crime against children because it has taken away their ability to play there."
Bee Staff
Elaborate planning by four suspects to torch a vehicle only ended up earning them time in jail, restitution payments and the requirement to register as arson offenders for life, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
All to collect $26,000 from two insurance companies - which now has to be paid back, according to a new release.
The final sentences were issued last week. Some of the defendants had been sentenced earlier. Sentenced arson and insurance fraud in the case were Anthony Woodcock Jr., 20; Frank Avery, 23; Kyle Cooper, 20; and Jarred Flory, 21, all of Rancho Cordova.
Avery, Cooper and Flory each received 180 days in county jail, and Woodcock received 240 days in county jail, according to the DA's office. Each of the defendants is also required to register as arson offenders for life and ordered to pay a total of $26,308.81 in restitution to two insurance companies, the release states.
The release gave this chain of events:
In 2007, Anthony Woodcock promised to pay Avery, Cooper and Flory $1,000 each to help demolish his 2006 Dodge Magnum.
Woodcock and Avery left the Dodge near the intersection of Grant Line and Douglas Roads in rural Sacramento County after driving a nail into a tire, causing it to go flat. They walked to a nearby residential area, where they had earlier parked Woodcock's truck.
During their walk, they called Cooper and Flory, who were waiting nearby, and told them where to find the car so they could burn it. Cooper and Flory set the Dodge on fire using gasoline and nitro methane. However, when the car exploded, Cooper and Flory suffered non-life threatening burns.
During their walk, they called Cooper and Flory, who were waiting nearby, and told them where to find the car so they could burn it. Cooper and Flory set the Dodge on fire using gasoline and nitro methane. However, when the car exploded, Cooper and Flory suffered non-life threatening burns.
During this time, Woodcock and Avery drove to a nearby convenience store, parked down the street, and pretended to make a call from a pay phone so they would be captured on the store video as an alibi.
They then drove back to the Magnum while firemen were extinguishing the blaze and told police at the scene that they had just returned to fix the flat tire. Woodcock later filed insurance claim for the loss of the vehicle.
From Bill Lindelof:
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials need the public's help with information on five arsons that occurred overnight in Carmichael.
The fires, all on Fair Oaks Boulevard or nearby, burned buildings, a mailbox and dry grass.
At 1:51 a.m. firefighters responded to a fire at a medical office at 6437 Fair Oaks Blvd. where most of the damage from the series of arson fires occurred. The fire at the medical office threatened an adjacent furniture store, prompting a second alarm.
"The medical office had significant fire in the attic so we had to cut holes in the roof," said Metro Fire Capt. Christian Pebbles. "The building was partially damaged."
Prior to the medical office fire, several other deliberately set fires were handled by firefighters: two grass fires at Fair Oaks Boulevard and North Avenue, a mailbox outside the Carmichael Post Office, 6929 Fair Oaks Blvd., and a building in the 5800 block of Robertson Avenue.
"These were all deliberately set fires," said Pebbles. "Somebody is walking around this neighborhood torching property."
Anyone with information is asked to call (916) 566-4000.
Bee Staff
A juvenile playing with matches started a fire in a vacant building in the Foothill Farms area, according to a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District news release.
A neighbor suffered minor injuries while trying to kick open one of the doors in the four-plex apartment building in the 5700 block of Blachly Way, the release from Capt. Rusty Dupray states.
The fire was put out as 28 firefighters from five engines and two truck companies rolled on the call, the release states.
A male juvenile later admitted to starting the fire while he was playing with matches, the release states.
Bee Staff
Investigators have released more photos of items stolen from a homicide/burglary in the South Sacramento, this time surf board and sails.
At 1:28 p.m. on June 23, at 1:28 p.m., the Sacramento Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 7400 block of Carella Drive, according to a news release. After extinguishing the fire, fire fighters found the body of homeowner, Keith Fessler.
About 12 hours later, police found Fessler's car, a sunset orange 2004 Honda Element, abandoned and burned about a mile from his home.
Detectives said it was immediately clear that Fessler had been killed. Investigators said they had no clues to indicate whether the killers had planned the burglary, and couldn't confirm the cause of death while the investigation is in progress.
Numerous items had been stolen from the residence. Sacramento Police Department said they have discovered additional specialized stolen items.
Earlier this month, police released photographs of custom guitars that were stolen from the residence as part of this crime.
Information from a citizen tip led investigators to locate some of the stolen guitars, according to a police news release.
Here's a description of the stolen equipment:
A description of the stolen boards and sails:
Wind boards
1. Mistra, Ecstasy, red top with white lower-half
2. Mistra, Inter Fusion, purple with light blue footgrips
3. Naish, Hybrid Freewave, white with pink and orange design
4. Seatrend, All Terrain, white with red and black design/logo
Wind Sails
1. Dynamic 4.0, contained in a silver and yellow bag
2. Street Wave, Slalom 4.5, contained in a grey bag
3. Street Wave Slalom 5.0, contained in a orange bag
4. Street Wave Slalom 5.5, contained in a pink bag
If you have any information on these items or the case, contact Crime Alert at 916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
The following photographs below are of the stolen wind surf boards and sails in carrying cases:
From Bill Lindelof:
A teen and a 10-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of torching playground equipment at a Woodland park Wednesday evening.
The two boys are suspected of burning a plastic slide at Wayne Cline Park, 223 Teton Place. Police reported the fire was out when they arrived at the park about 8:15 p.m.
A witness told police that a young boy wearing a white T-shirt fled the area after the fire was set. Based on that information, Woodland police officer Gina Bell, who knows the neighborhood well, contacted a boy she knows, speaking with the 10-year-old near his home.
That interview eventually resulted in the arrest of the boy and a 14-year-old suspected accomplice 40 minutes after police responded to the call.
Police said gasoline was poured on the slide and ignited with a cigarette lighter.
The 10-year-old was cited and released to his mother. The 14-year-old boy, after being interviewed at the police department, was also released to a parent.
The boys' parents probably will be billed by the city for the damage and for police and fire department response, police said.
From Bill Lindelof:
Sacramento firefighters were kept busy responding to eight dumpster fires in the midtown and downtown areas early today, including one blaze that damaged the side of an apartment house.
Authorities believe an arsonist is responsible for setting the blazes.
The first fire was reported about 12:40 a.m., and for the next three hours Sacramento firefighters were kept hopping from one location to another. Fire officials have no description of a suspect in the blazes and no video linking anyone to the fires.
At least two damaged buildings, the most serious incident occurring at 1312 18th Street where flames from a fire set in dumpster against an apartment house licked up the wall of the building.
"The one on 18th Street really had the potential to really get that building going," said Capt. Jim Doucette, spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department. "We were on scene in a little over two minutes. We were really fortunate. I think the engine was coming back from another fire, so they were right on top of it."
The fires occurred at locations over a wide area: 15th and H, 18th and J, 16th and H, 28th and J, 15th and J, 15th and I, 1312 18th St. and 1122 17th St.
A ninth fire occurred in east Sacramento at Elvas Way and 36th Street where a tree burned. Although not believed to be part of the dumpster arsons, investigators say it could have been set by the same person.
From Bill Lindelof:
A reward up to $1,000 is being offered for information leading to arrest of those responsible for the burning of a Meadowview school play structure.
At about 4 p.m. on Sunday at Freeport Elementary School, 2118 Meadowview Road, a fire damaged the school's playground structure.
Sacramento fire investigators believe that a flammable material was used to ignite wood chips beneath the structure. Arson suspects had to climb a six-foot tall fence in order to get inside the play area.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call WeTip at 1-800-782-7463.
From Julie Johnson:
Sacramento Fire Department investigators Monday identified the four juveniles who fire investigators say were responsible for throwing fireworks into a classroom at John Bidwell Elementary School on July 4.
The department cited the young people for "careless burning," and handed the case over to the Sacramento County District Attorney's office for further investigation.
"The District Attorney is reviewing the case, and it's totally up to them what to do with it," said Captain Jim Doucette, spokesman for the fire department.
On July 4, firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the school. They found smoke, spent fireworks, and scorch marks on the carpet inside a kindergarten classroom. Investigators said the suspects threw fireworks through an open window.
The juveniles were caught on the school's video surveillance system. Investigators sent the videos to the media and asked for the public's help in identifying the culprits.
The Sacramento Fire Departments Arson and the police-run Crime Alert tip lines received anonymous calls regarding the fires. One of these calls directed investigators to the juveniles.
Sacramento Unified School District officials confirmed that they were all students in the district. Two had attended Bidwell and the other two attended Cesar E. Chavez Elementary School, officials said.
Bee Staff:
Sacramento police investigators are asking the public's help in finding musical instruments stolen from a man who was slain last month.
After Sacramento Fire Department firefighters put out a house fire in the 7400 block of Carella Drive at about 1:28 p.m. on June 23 they found the body of Keith Fessler (photo left), 44, the homeowner, according to a Police Department news release.
Fessler's vehicle, a sunset orange 2004 Honda Element, was stolen and recovered 12 hours later, about a mile from his residence. The suspect or suspects burned the vehicle.
Fessler, who lived in the home for 15 years, was an avid musician, the release states.
Taken during the incident, were several distinctive string instruments (photos below), the release states.
A partial list of the items taken were:
-Dell Latitude D600 Notebook serial No. 3Z54J61
-Gibson Les Paul Guitar - #31602
-Gibson Acoustic Guitar- #91412043
-Jackson Guitar- #6717
-Carvin Custom Guitar- No serial number
-Takamine Santa Fe Guitar- #93121043
-Deering Banjo- #4041
-Flatiron Mandolin- #93071686
-Mitchell MD-100 Guitar- #302018
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES). Enter SACTIP followed by the tip information. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000, the release states.
From Chelsea Phua
Sacramento fire department officials are investigating who threw fireworks through a window of an elementary school on this afternoon, according to a news release.
Firefighters were alerted shortly before 2 p.m. by a fire alarm at John Bidwell Elementary School on 65th Avenue, officials said. They arrived and found light smoke and remnants of fireworks in a kindergarten classroom.
The fireworks burned two small portions of carpet in the classroom. Firefighters said the damage was minimal, even though the classroom had many boxes with paper goods that could have been easily ignited.
Fire officials said they have not identified any suspects, but said witnesses reported children in the area playing with fireworks.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's Arson Tip Line at (916) 808-8732.
From Bill Lindelof:
A suspected car thief is recovering from burns after police said he tried to set a stolen sedan on fire after stripping it of parts.
Woodland police said that Alberto Vega, 20, is being treated at UC Davis Medical Center with second- and third-degree burns to his hands, arms, head, neck and face. The Woodland resident has been unable to speak with detectives because of his burns.
Alberto Vega's cousin, Diego Vega, 22, of Woodland, is suspected of being an accomplice and has been arrested on suspicion of possessing stolen property, arson and conspiracy.
Police said they responded to Woodland Memorial Hospital on Tuesday when they learned Alberto Vega had been dropped off at the emergency room, suffering from severe burns. Detectives say they believe Alberto and Diego Vega removed parts from a stolen sedan and then worked with others to put it on a trailer and take it to County Road 18 near County Road 98.
When Alberto Vega tried to ignite the car, he also set himself on fire, police said, before being driven to a Woodland apartment where friends attempted to help him.
However, when Alberto Vega's breathing became labored, they walked him to Woodland Memorial hospital.
In addition to the Vega cousins, detectives say two other suspects are involved in the incident. Two cars have been towed by police, and an engine and other parts have been recovered.
From Stan Oklobdzija:
A homeless man was arrested today on charges he set fire to a portion of Effie Yeaw Nature Center this afternoon, Sacramento Metro Fire officials said.
Kristopher Kent Cromwell was taken to Sacramento County Main Jail around 2:15 p.m. after he admitted to arson investigators that he intentionally lit a cigar filter and threw it into dry grass at the Carmichael park, said Capt. Christian Pebbles, Metro Fire spokesman.
Metro Fire teams put down the fire, Pebbles said in a press release.
Cromwell, who is a validated Juggalo gang member, was initially detained by Sacramento County Park rangers, Pebbles said.
From Barbara Barte Osborn:
TRUCKEE - A chiropractor with practices in Truckee and Loyalton was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of setting fire to the office and home she owned in Truckee.
Erinn Tamney Randall (photo), 38, is also being investigated in connection with a Monday fire that damaged a Loyalton building in which she had a medical office and living quarters.
Randall was rescued by neighbors from an upstairs bedroom window in the Loyalton building, on Main Street, shortly before 6 a.m. Monday, said Daniel Jacobs, a Sierra County Sheriff's dispatcher in Downieville.
The fire at Randall's home in Truckee occurred at about 7:30 a.m. Monday and the blaze at her downtown Truckee office, at about 8 a.m. Tuesday, according to a Truckee Police Department news release.
Police detectives who questioned Randall at the Truckee office fire arrested her for investigation of two counts of arson related to the two Truckee fires, Lt. Randy Fenn said in the release.
"Through investigation, detectives developed probable cause to arrest Dr. Randall for setting fire to her business on Donner Pass Road," Fenn said. "She was later charged with setting fire to her home on Laburnham (Circle) as well."
Randall was in custody Wednesday at the Nevada County jail in Nevada City pending arraignment. Her bail has been set at $1 million.
Each of the Truckee fires caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, a police spokeswoman said.
The Loyalton fire, extinguished by the city's volunteer fire department, caused "several thousands of dollars in damage," Sheriff Evans said in his release.
Evans said, "All three fires...appear to be related and a suspect has been arrested...This has been an involved investigation spread over several locations and jurisdictions."
From Bill Lindelof:
Truckee police are investigating two suspicious fires in as many days that might be related.
The first fire occurred about 7:30 a.m. Monday a single-family home in the 10000 block of Laburnham Circle. Truckee Fire District firefighters requested assistance from the police due to the suspicious nature of the fire, police said.
Later that afternoon, detectives and arson investigators from Cal Fire used a search warrant to seize from the home evidence that might help explain the fire's origin, police said. The items were taken to the state Department of Justice lab for forensic examination.
About 8 a.m. today police and firefighters responded to a fire at a commercial building in the 10000 block of Donner Pass Road. Again, firefighters suspected the fire was suspicious and asked for police to help investigate.
A police department news release said the fires are related but did not elaborate. Cal Fire arson experts will assist Truckee detectives in the investigation.
Each fire caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, mostly from heat and smoke. Nobody was injured and no arrests have been made.
"We believe there is physical evidence that will link the two," said Lt. Randy Fenn, spokesman for the Truckee Police Department.
By Bill Lindelof
A woman described by prosecutors as a Canadian drifter has entered a no contest plea to felony arson and vandalism in a Woodland house fire two years ago, according to the Yolo County District Attorney's office.
Claudine Fleury, 38, took up residence in a garage of the vacant house on Pershing Avenue in 2007. Asked to leave by a real estate agent, she returned and tried to burn the house down several times before she was arrested, according to the district attorney.
One of the fires destroyed the garage. Fleury was later arrested at the Wayfarer Homeless Shelter in Woodland.
At the time of her arrest she gave a false name to a detective, her true name not being discovered until months later, authorities say. Fluery entered her plea last Thursday and faces time in state prison.
From Sandy Louey:
Authorities arrested a 21-year-old man Tuesday for allegedly trying to set fire to a Sacramento home after the residents asked him to leave.
Arson investigators with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District arrested Cole Alan Nelson on suspicion of arson of an inhabited structure or property, possession of a firebomb and possession of a destructive device with intent to terrify, according to a news release.
Nelson was being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail Tuesday on $400,000 bail. He is scheduled to be in court Thursday, according to online jail records.
Sacramento Metro firefighters responded at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday to an extinguished fire at a home in the 2700 block of Adriatic Way.
Nelson had been a guest in the home Monday night where he visited with three residents and an additional guest.
He had been asked to leave, but refused to do so. When the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department was called at 10:35 p.m., Nelson fled. Deputies looked for him without success, the release said.
Just before 12:09 a.m. Tuesday, the three residents and the guest heard knocking at the front door. When they got there, they saw flames coming from the exterior entryway, Sacramento Metro officials said.
The four fled through a back patio door. While one of them called 911, the other three went to the front of the home, where they confronted Nelson.
Fire officials said the residents wrestled Nelson to the ground and held him until deputies arrived. A resident used a garden hose to extinguish the fire at the front door and threshold.
Deputies said they found a gasoline can and wicking material in Nelson's backpack. They also recovered two disposable lighters.
Arson investigators found items consistent with a Molotov cocktail in the exterior entryway to the home. Wicking material matched that found in Nelson's backpack, officials said.
There was no estimate available on damage to the property.
From: Sandy Louey
The Lincoln fire department is investigating a Saturday night fire that destroyed six townhomes under construction, causing $1.2 million in damages.
Lincoln Fire Chief David Whitt said firefighters were called out at 11:20 p.m. to the blaze at the D.R. Horton development at Joiner Parkway and Las Palomas Loop.
The townhomes, which were two and three-stories high, were attached units. No one was injured. Two nearby homes under construction suffered minor smoke and fire damage, Whitt said.
Firefighters from Cal Fire, Rocklin, Roseville, Loomis, Newcastle, and Penryn assisted in battling the blaze, which took an hour to knock down. Firefighters remained on the scene until 4 a.m. Sunday, Whitt said.
Whitt said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
From Sandy Louey:
Davis authorities are investigating a series of trash and garbage bin fires that broke out last week behind local apartment complexes and businesses.
The Davis Fire Department reported that shortly before 10:30 p.m. Nov. 9 someone set fire to a mattress and sofa behind the Dollar Tree store at 1800 E. Eighth St., according to a release from the Davis Police Department.
Davis fire said three others were set in less than half an hour of each other on Nov. 10. The first was a trash can fire at 9:27 p.m. at 419 I St. A cardboard fire broke out at 9:39 p.m. at 1333 Colgate Drive, with the third one occurring 10 minutes later with a trash bin fire at 770 E. Eighth St., according to the release.
No one was injured in any of the fires. Most have not caused any additional property damage except the fire behind the Dollar Tree spread to an adjacent fence.
Anyone with information about the fires is asked to call the Police Department at (530) 747-5400.
From Sandy Louey:
Cal Fire officials have arrested a 25-year-old El Dorado Hills man for allegedly setting seven fires earlier this month.
Kenneth Powell was arrested on suspicion of seven counts of arson, according to a press release.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection made Monday's arrest with assistance from the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office, said Bill Dillard, a criminal investigator with the DA's office.
The seven fires broke out during a two-hour period on Oct. 18 and 19. All were grassland fires except one that was set in a dumpster at Raley's, Dillard said.
The grassland fires were in large, dry fields and many were near multi-million dollar homes. The fires were kept to less than an acre each because of the quick response from fire agencies including Cal Fire and the El Dorado Hills Fire Department, he said.
The investigation was a joint effort between Cal Fire, El Dorado Hills Fire, and the DA's office.
From Niesha Lofing:
Fire investigators are looking for information this morning about two fires at Sacramento-area homes that officials say were caused by arson.
The first fire began about 9:40 p.m. at a vacant house in the 7900 block of Cresentdale Way in the Valley Hi area, Sacramento fire Capt. Jim Doucette said.
The single-alarm fire significantly damaged the home.
A single-alarm fire also damaged a duplex. The fire began about 1:21 a.m. at a duplex at 403 Mint St., Doucette said. The duplex is occupied, but no one was home when the fire started, he said.
Details about the fire have not been released.
Anyone with information about either fire is asked to call the fire department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.
From Niesha Lofing:
Fire investigators say an early morning fire that destroyed a vacant state building was caused by arson.
The single-alarm fire was reported at 2:30 a.m. at the California Youth Authority facility at 3001 Ramona Avenue, west of Power Inn Road and south of Folsom Boulevard.
When firefighters arrived, they found the building engulfed in flames and had to cut through a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire to access the blaze, said Sacramento Fire Department Capt. Jim Doucette.
The building has been unoccupied for about five years, he said. University Enterprises Inc., which runs the nonprofit corporation of Sacramento State University and manages business for the school, now owns the building.
"Apparently the place has been shut down, with no power to it - just a vacant warehouse," Doucette said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and remained on scene for several hours.
Officials have not said the fire was intentionally set but called the blaze "definitely suspicious," Doucette said.
Anyone with information about who may have started the blaze is asked to call the fire department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.
From Niesha Lofing:
Two men have been arrested in connection with a Sunday-morning fire that caused $3 million in damage to townhomes being built in Rancho Cordova.
The four-alarm fire started just after 6 a.m. at two sets of townhomes near Zinfandel Drive and Highway 50, said Charles Jenkins, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District battalion chief.
"When I left the station, flames were visible over the rooftops and trees," he said.
The fire began in one of two six-unit townhome buildings and spread to the other complex across a narrow alley. The townhomes were under construction and were in the framing stage, Jenkins said.
Firefighters established a defensive line around the fire to keep it from spreading to nearby occupied homes.
The fire was contained in about an hour-and-a-half, and crews had the blaze extinguished in about five hours, Jenkins said.
"The potential of getting all those occupied homes was huge," he said.
The townhomes are in high-density housing area called Zinfandel International, Jenkins said.
The development is owned by Beazer Homes. Beazer officials estimated damage to the 12 units at $3 million, he said. The fire damaged the framed structures, as well as the infrastructure beneath them.
"In my opinion, it's a complete loss," he said.
The suspects, whose identities have not been released, were arrested on suspicion of arson. The fire remains under investigation.
From Chelsea Phua:
Fire officials have determined that the two-alarm fire at Leonardo da Vinci Middle School late Saturday was intentionally set.
No one was injured in the fire that started in the computer lab of the school at 4701 Joaquin Way. A neighbor alerted firefighters about 10:45 p.m.
Arson investigators are asking anyone who saw suspicious activity near the school or someone on the roof of the school at the time of the fire to call (916) 808-8732. Callers can remain anonymous.
From Stan Oklobdzija:
Folsom police have arrested a West Sacramento man of suspicion of trying to torch his dry cleaning business after it fell on hard times.
According to a press release, police arrested Jung Hang Suh, 61, in connection with a July 5 fire that burned through Blue Ravine Cleaners in the 190 block of Blue Ravine Road.
In responding to the blaze, which burned mostly on the building's roof, police found Suh on the roof of an adjacent building, the release said. Suh had apparently injured himself while climbing on the roof and was taken to the hospital, the release said.
A further investigation revealed that Suh was the owner of Blue Ravine Cleaners and had allegedly fallen on tough financial times, the release said. Folsom detectives believe that Suh started the fire to recoup the insurance money and separate himself from the business, according to the release.
Suh was arrested today in West Sacramento, the release said. He was booked into Sacramento County Jail on $150,000 bail.
Sacramento city, fire and police officials joined South Natomas residents Thursday evening in discussing the aftermath of Monday's Fort Natomas arson, the second such incident in nearly two years at the popular playground.
Sacramento Fire Department Battalion Chief Niko King said the structure, which was built by 2,500 volunteers in six days in November 2006, was fire resistant but not fireproof. He said a wheelbarrow was found out of place at the fire scene, but wouldn't provide more details because the investigation is continuing.
Sacramento Police Sgt. Andrew Pettit said the playground's location tucked in the southeastern corner of Jefferson Park near the Bannon Creek Parkway makes it difficult for officers to monitor activities there at night, though they do monitor the park area when time permits.
District 1 City Councilman Ray Tretheway, who organized the gathering, announced that a core committee has been formed and will discuss rebuilding options. Residents expressed their concern about illegal activities in the park and playground areas. They suggested adding surveillance cameras, special lighting to a future playground, even moving the structure to a different park area.
Jim Combs, the city's director of parks and recreation, said his department will work with the core committee to plan a new playground. He said the department will employ CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) techniques to help curb park crime.
Dodie Newman, a key organizer in building the playground in 1991 and 2006, said Monday's arson "stabbed me in the heart." After mulling whether to begin planning for another park, she came to the conclusion that "the children need a place to play."
Tretheway said raising funds in tough economic times will be difficult, but the outpouring of support since Monday's fire has been encouraging.. "There have been people coming into our offices bringing in $5,000 checks," he said.
A Web site has been set up for persons who are willing to assist in the possible Fort Natomas rebuilding effort.
Anyone with information about the playground fire is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.
Here is a video by Christopher McSwain showing the first playground and the 2006 rebuilding effort:
Sacramento County District 1 Supervisor Roger Dickinson announced Wednesday that he is contributing $2,500 to the reward fund for the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for the early Monday morning Fort Natomas playground fire.
Sacramento Fire Department arson investigators have determined that the playground fire was arson, said a department news release issued Wednesday.
The playground was a total loss following a suspicious blaze that began about 1 a.m. Monday. Arsonists destroyed the same South Natomas playground in June 2006.
After that blaze, hundreds of volunteers rebuilt Fort Natomas in a seven-day construction campaign.
On Monday, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo and City Councilman Ray Tretheway offered a $5,000 reward.
A community meeting is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the park picnic shelter, near Cloudview Drive and Roma Court, to find out what people want to do.
A Web site has been set up for persons who are willing to assist in the possible Fort Natomas rebuilding effort.
Anyone with information about the playground fire is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.
Here's Bill Lindelof's story about the latest fire. Following is Pamela Martineau's story about the rebuilding of the playground in November 2006:
As workers put up temporary fencing around the destroyed Fort Natomas in Jefferson Park Monday afternoon, residents, many of whom helped built the popular playground in 1991-- then again in 2006 -- gathered.
Their collective mood ranged from disbelief to anger, from helplessness to determination to rebuild the landmark South Natomas structure. The decorative tile wall -- erected in 1991-- adorns the front of the playground. It features names of parents and their children, many of whom are now 17 and older and helped rebuild the playground in November 2006 ago after it was destroyed by the first fire that June. They visited the charred site today, as did many smaller children who were denied a place to play.
In a comment to Bill Lindelof's story about the early Monday fire, reader bxluddite wrote, "Like my daughter said over and over, when we stopped by today, 'The park is sad.'
City Councilman Ray Tretheway was also shaken by the early morning fire. "I can't believe they've taken the playground again ... It's the best playground in the city," he told many residents.
Many school and community playgrounds have been targeted recently. Here's a Bee story about two fires set May 10, one at John Bidwell Elementary School in the Meadowview area and another at Hazel Strauch Elementary School, also in the South Natomas area. Fort Natomas is next to Jefferson Elementary School.
A meeting is planned at 6:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss what the community will do next.
Mayor Heather Fargo and Tretheway have offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the people responsible for destroying the playground, the Sacramento Fire Department announced this afternoon.
Anyone with information about the playground fire is asked to call the Sacramento Fire Department's arson tip line at (916) 808-8732.
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