Concord Man Faces Arson Charges In East Bay Hills Fire

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA -- A Concord man has been charged with arson causing great bodily injury for allegedly starting the 20-acre vegetation fire in the East Bay hills last Wednesday, Alameda County prosecutors said Tuesday. Alfredo Bautista, 24, has also been charged with attempted second-degree robbery, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, and unlawfully driving or taking a vehicle in connection with a road rage incident on Grizzly Peak Boulevard in the Oakland hills several hours before the fire, which broke out at about 1:05 p.m. Wednesday.

University of California at Berkeley police Officer Ryan Miyamoto wrote in a probable cause statement that he found a cigarette lighter in Bautista's pocket when he detained him near two Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory buildings at about 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Bautista "later made a voluntary admission that he was the person who started the fire on Grizzly Peak near sign post 14," Miyamoto wrote.

Bautista also "admitted to starting eight fires in the area using the cigarette lighter he had in his possession," Miyamoto wrote.

The officer noted that it took firefighters several days to extinguish the blaze since it wasn't deemed to be completely contained until 10 a.m. Monday.

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He also noted that a firefighter was injured while battling the blaze and had to be treated for his injuries at a hospital.

Oakland police Officer Matthew Jung wrote in a separate but related probable cause statement that Bautista allegedly brandished a rifle at motorists during the earlier road rage incident.

Bautista allegedly was involved in a collision near Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Fish Ranch Road at about 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to Jung. Jung wrote that the victims told police that a suspect, later identified as Bautista, approached their vehicle armed with a rifle so they fled in their car out of fear for their safety.

Bautista followed the victims in his car and began ramming his car into their car multiple times until the victims' car struck a parked vehicle, Jung wrote.

The victims told police that Bautista continued to point his firearm at them before fleeing the scene, according to Jung.

Officers later conducted a field lineup in which the victims identified Bautista as the suspect who had pointed his firearm at them and purposely rammed his car into their multiple times.

Bautista was arraigned on Monday and was scheduled to return to court Tuesday afternoon to possibly enter a plea.

By Bay City News Service

Image via Alameda County Sheriff's Office