Missouri man charged with arson in Milpitas grass fires

SAN JOSE – A man from the Kansas City area flew to the San Francisco Bay Area, drove a rental car to Calaveras Reservoir, east of Milpitas, and was threw burning pieces of paper along the grassy foothills, triggering more than a dozen fires in 24 hours. last weekend, say the authorities.

These allegations fuel the 15 arson charges against Freddie Owen Graham, 68, of Lone Jack, Missouri. Graham was brought to trial in a San Jose courtroom on Wednesday and sent back to the Elmwood Men's Prison in Milpitas, where he was held on bail of $ 500,000.

According to Santa Clara County attorneys, Graham lit four fires on Friday and another nine on Saturday, and was about to step out of the city undetected when he was arrested by Cal Fire officials on Monday while He was returning his rental car to the Mineta San Jose International Airport.

What Graham did not know was that a witness saw his car and gave a number plate number to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – better known as Cal Fire – which local units fought and then investigated what is nicknamed the tank fire.

"Without the registration plate of this Good Samaritan, this crime would probably never have been solved," said Deputy Attorney General Bud Porter.

According to Porter, the evidence showed that Graham had landed Thursday in San Jose, then took the road to Calaveras at the foot of the hills and began to throw pieces of fire into the fields, according to a description resembling a fire bug, Johnny Appleseed.

"The lights were lit with a lighter, lighting the paper and throwing it out the car window," Porter said.

Friday's fires "took a few hours" to go out, but the nine fires on Saturday put almost the entire weekend to go out by dozens of firefighters backed by air units and bulldozers. The tank fire eventually burned 128 acres, but did not hurt anyone and threatened no house.