Pair of 19-year-olds arrested in Citrus Heights arson cases

A pair of 19-year-olds were arrested Sunday on suspicion of arson after firefighters had to contain a series of fires in Citrus Heights, police said.

Randy Rath was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on four counts of arson to forest/land and three counts of arson to property, according to the Citrus Heights Police Department. Jordan Williams was booked into the same jail on three counts of arson to forest/land and three counts of arson to property, CHPD said.

Authorities responded to fires early Sunday in Citrus Heights as the Sacramento region was under a red-flag warning due to high-risk fire conditions.

Around 12:45 a.m., police were called to assist Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighters in responding to a portable toilet on fire at Tempo Park. Less than an hour later, at 1:39 a.m., CHPD assisted Metro Fire with a dumpster fire behind the Safeway at 7301 Greenback Lane, about 2 1/2 miles away.

Four minutes later, fires were reported in a nature preserve behind the Costco and Walmart in the 7000 block of Auburn Boulevard. Police said a Costco security guard spotted two people leaving the area and provided a description of them.

CHPD said arson investigators’ work led them to arrest Rath and Williams.

Williams and Rath each had bail set at $50,000, Sacramento County records show.

This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 1:36 PM.