Bradley Woman Confesses to SLO County Arson Fires
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif.
CAL FIRE has arrested a woman on a slew of charges in SLO county, including eight counts of arson.
According to the CAL FIRE news release, Devorah Collins, 58, of Bradley was booked on Thursday and is expected to be arraigned Monday, September 19, 2016, in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Collins is facing charges relating to a series of suspicious fires in the Nacimiento Lake Drive area that started in June of this year.
Law enforcement officers from CAL FIRE initiated a surveillance operation, eventually identifying Collins as a potential suspect for the fires. During an interview officials said she admitted to starting several fires, but was ruled out as a suspect in the Chimney Fire.
“Wildfires throughout California cause millions of dollars in damage and sometimes even take lives,” said CAL FIRE Unit Chief Scotty Jalbert, “those who intentionally start fires will be held accountable and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
People living nearby weighed in on the potential threat to their homes.
“That’s really pathetic and it’s really scary,” Paso Robles resident Gemma Krumland said. “Especially as dry as California is, I mean we have so many problems all over.”
Homeowner Larry Matthews is offended that his home was put in jeopardy.
“I don’t understand..why?” Paso Robles resident Larry Matthews said. “Talk to neighbors all the time, you have to be friendly with your neighbors, I think.”
Collins has been charged with: eight counts of arson, two counts of manufacturing an incendiary device, two counts of use of a time delay device, eight counts of arson during a State of Emergency and one count of resisting a peace officer.
