Developing story..
CABAZON, Calif. — Investigators swooped down Monday on a home in Cabazon, Calif. — one-quarter mile from where a deadly arson wildfire was started last week — and took the two residents into custody for questioning, FOX News has learned.
The men were were later returned to the home, accompanied by investigators.
The investigators, including the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the California Department of Forestry, entered the house around 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT).
Neighbors told FOX News one of the men taken into custody and placed in the back of a sheriff's patrol car was named "Jason," and described him as "a skin head."
Investigators have been searching for the arsonists who started the deadly Esperanza wildfire, which killed four firefighters and critically injured another last Thursday. The fire continues to burn, but fire officials say they have contained more than 85 percent of the blaze.
The four firefighters were trapped when a wall of flames engulfed their engine while they were trying to protect a nearby home. Officials immediately declared the fire the work of arsonists, and said that the firefighters' deaths was an act of murder.
More than 225 tips have been received by the Riverside County sheriff's office regarding the arson investigation, said Sheriff Bob Doyle.
Cabazon residents have told investigators that they saw two young men leaving the fire's ignition point.
"We're keeping a real tight lid on the investigation," said Michael Jarvis, a California Department of Forestry spokesman. "We're just asking people to call in with their tips."
The fire, fed by Santa Ana winds, continues to burn and has claimed nearly 42,000 acres, but fire officials said Monday they have it more than 90 percent contained.
More than 2,500 firefighters were involved in battling the blaze, which destroyed 34 homes, 20 out buildings and caused more than $8 million in damage, to date.
Officials are offering $500,000 for information leading to the arrest of the arsonists.
UPDATE:
Riverside County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Earl Quintana confirmed to FOX News the three — two young men and a young woman — are considered "persons of interest" in connection with their investigation of the Esperansa Fire that killed four firefighters and critically injured another.
"We're trying to work through the leads that we have, and going through the process," Riverside County Sheriff Bob Doyle said.
Doyle cautioned that investigators would be interviewing a number of people in the case. Quintana said there have been no arrests.
Investigators entered the home just after noon PT (3 p.m. ET), and conducted an extensive search for evidence, including dusting for fingerprints, officials said.
Cabazon resident Robert Dunham told the Associated Press that in addition to the residents, sheriff's deputies took three bags of material from the home. The area is a quarter-mile from where the Esperanza fire started.
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Updated 1:22 PM
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Evacuation orders lifted; firefighter rememberedAll evacuation orders related to the Esparanza Fire have been
lifted. See Inland Wildfires section for more coverage... Video: Cerda family speaks at press conference Video: Memorial service for fallen firefighters at Shiloh Christian Ministries in Idyllwild Graphic: Fire map - Day 4 Photos: Esperanza Wildfire - Day 5 Your Photos: Submit photos of the Esperanza wildfire Graphic: Hidden perils of a burnt-out forest Your Photos: View submitted photos Survey: How have you been affected by the Esperanza Fire and the deaths of four firefighters? |
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Posted by: SlimGuy | 31 October 2006 at 11:53 PM
My heartfelt condolences to the victims. I must however point out the insanity and juvenile foolishness of charging someone with murder for deaths related to arson in which there is no reason to think that they intended to kill the people that died. Homicide is only murder if the victims were intentionally killed. Period. Second degree murder is a spur-of-the-moment killing, like someone who is in a bar fight and pulls out a gun and shoots someone dead. First degree murder requires an even higher degree of proof, in that it must be proven that the accused not only intended to kill the victim(s) but that it was premeditated, meaning that they planned out the murder in advance and gave it serious thought instead of something happening in a moment. Neither of these applies to an arson case unless you are talking about an arsonist intending to murder someone in their home, for example in the middle of the night nailing their doors shut so they can't escape and setting fire to their house with the intent to burn them to death as they sleep. Now that would be murder. Setting a fire in which firefighters or other people happen to perish is NOT murder, but voluntary manslaughter. BIG difference. But in modern America's so-called "justice" system which operates on the lynch mob mentality, all that seems to be required for a charge of "murder" is someone dying a tragic death because of someone else's actions, regardless of intent. A sad commentary on a broken system.
Posted by: Realist | 01 November 2006 at 01:12 PM