Crime & Safety
Serial Arsonist Sentenced To Prison
He was convicted of 31 felonies for setting fires in multiple locations around the Contra Costa County.
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — A convicted arsonist who set fire to vehicles in possibly multiple cities in Contra Costa County was sentenced Friday to 19 years in state prison, according to county prosecutors.
James Bishop III was arrested in May of 2017 after police discovered someone was using an accelerant to light cars on fire.
Authorities had noticed an up-tick in vehicle fires around that time and linked Bishop to the blazes in part because his SUV was spotted near the scene of some of the fires.
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Contra Costa County prosecutors announced the sentence Friday on Twitter. Bishop was sentenced by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Laurel Brady.
Bishop was convicted last year of 31 arson-related felonies, according to prosecutors.
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"We want to express our gratitude for the investigative work done by fire investigators with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District," prosecutors said in a tweet.
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— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock
