Medical Clinic Fire in South San Francisco Ruled Arson, Suspect Charged

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A 61-year-old man accused of setting fire to a medical clinic in South San Francisco on New Year's Day pleaded not guilty Tuesday, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

John Anthony Morgan was arrested shortly after the fire broke out at the Mills-Peninsula Medical Center at 935 El Camino Real at about 7:21 a.m. on Jan. 1.

It took about an hour for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

The building sustained major damage but was unoccupied at the time so no one was injured.

Witnesses told police that they saw a man walk from the back of the building as it burned and pointed Morgan out to police. Investigators determined he had set two fires to the back of the business and one ignited the building, police said.

Morgan was charged with one felony count of recklessly causing a fire. He remains in custody on $25,000 bail and was ordered to return to court on Jan. 13 for a preliminary hearing, prosecutors said.

— By Bay City News Service / Image via Shutterstock