Holy Fire Arson Suspect Disrupts Courtroom With Bizarre Behavior

TRABUCO CANYON, CA — Forrest Gordon Clark, arrested on suspicion of purposefully setting the Holy Fire in Trabuco Canyon, arrived in court in Santa Ana for his arraignment only to have it delayed again, officials said.

When asked to face the charges, his behavior turned erratic according to reports from the scene. Clark reportedly "made several outbursts" during the hearing.

Clark was reported to have called the charges against him a "lie." He repeatedly insisted that he had been threatened by various gangs. At one point he was heard to be spitting. He labeled the arson charges against him a "lie" and insisted he was being threatened.

When a court commissioner ordered his bail to remain at $1 million, Clark said he can easily afford it and asked if he can pay it right away.

His arraignment was delayed until Aug. 17.

Clark, who refused to come out of his cell to appear in court Thursday, has had multiple encounters with Orange County sheriff's deputies dating back to 2006, according to Carrie Braun, a spokeswoman for the department.

When called to his cabin Aug. 2 they couldn't find him, Braun said.

On July 23, a family member called deputies for help saying he was acting erratically, Braun said.

Clark was placed on what's known as a "5150 hold," meaning he was placed in custody for 72 hours to evaluate his mental health, but social workers deemed him eligible to release three days later, Braun said.

"Every time deputies responded or interacted with Mr. Clark, which is numerous times over the years, they have responded appropriately while also respecting his constitutional rights," Braun said. "You can't predictively place someone under arrest for something they haven't yet done.

To date, Clark remains charged for one felony count each of:

• aggravated arson of five or more inhabited structures
• arson of inhabited property
• arson of forest
• criminal threats
• two felony counts of resisting and deterring an executive officer
• a sentencing enhancement for arson burning multiple structures (The defendant is accused of setting a fire in Trabuco Canyon, which has damaged or destroyed at least 14 structures).

The maximum sentence is life in state prison, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

OCDA photo