Ukiah man arrested on arson, prowling charges after late-night fire near business
Suspect is scheduled to appear to enter a plea on a previous fire-related misdemeanor on Monday
A 40-year-old Ukiah man was arrested this week on suspicion of arson and prowling after deputies say he set a small fire behind a commercial building late Tuesday night.
According to a press release from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was dispatched around 11:07 p.m. April 1 to the 1400 block of Lovers Lane for a reported disturbance.
At the scene, the deputy learned a man had been seen behind a business causing a disturbance. The deputy discovered evidence of a recently ignited fire near an electrical box. The fire was out before the deputy arrived.
Surveillance footage reviewed during the investigation showed an adult male gathering combustible materials, igniting a fire, and adding to the flames before leaving the area on a bicycle while the fire remained burning, authorities said. The fire was set close to a commercial structure and electrical equipment, posing a potential risk to property and public safety.
The suspect was identified as Shane King, 40, of Ukiah.
Based on the investigation, deputies determined there was probable cause to arrest King on suspicion of arson and prowling. Authorities also said King was in violation of the terms of his pretrial release in a separate case involving fire-related activity.
According to court records, Shane is scheduled to appear before Judge Charlotte Scott on April 6 to enter a plea in connection with a misdemeanor charge of using an outdoor fire for disposal on January 31 and petty theft from a merchant on February 24.
Deputies located King around 10:20 a.m. April 2 in the 1400 block of North State Street and arrested him without incident. During the arrest, King made a spontaneous statement indicating possible involvement in the incident, and a lighter believed to be connected to the fire was recovered, according to the sheriff’s office, according to the sheriff’s office press release.
King was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of arson, prowling and violation of a court order. He was also found to have two outstanding Mendocino County warrants for failure to appear, as well as two warrants out of Sacramento County for possession of drug paraphernalia and trespassing.
He is being held in lieu of $65,000 bail.