The following is a press release from the Ukiah Police Department. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On 10/21/2024, at approximately 11 am, Ukiah Police Department (UPD) Officers responded to a report of a fire near Talmage Road and Waugh Lane in Ukiah. An officer located the fire on The Great Redwood Trail near Doolin Creek. A witness stated he observed a male subject fleeing the area toward Cherry Street before the officer arrived on scene.
UPD Officers were able to view video footage of the incident from surveillance cameras in the area. Officers observed Jesus Delgado cause the brush to catch fire. Delgado fled the area when officers approached with their lights and sirens activated. Delgado’s actions were intentional, reckless, and placed the safety of numerous individuals at risk if the fire was not extinguished by the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority (UVFA). This incident was also investigated by a UVFA Engineer Fire Investigator.
Delgado was later located near the 200 block of North Orchard Avenue. Delgado was placed under arrest without incident. Delgado had three lighters on his person. One of the lighters was a torch-style lighter. Delgado was also found to be on Summary Probation out of Mendocino County for a previous violation of 594(B)(1) PC-Vandalism. Delgado was booked and lodged at the MCSO Jail for violations of 451(d) PC and 1203.2(a) PC.
The Ukiah Police Department would like to thank the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority for their assistance with this investigation.
As always, our mission at UPD is to make Ukiah as safe a place as possible. If you would like to know more about crime in your neighborhood, you can sign up for telephone, cell phone, and email notifications by clicking the Nixle button on our website: www.ukiahpolice.com
We won’t let tax payers build in the western hills because of the threat of fire. Yet we catch and release the REAL fire threat on a daily basis.
Between the flock and surveillance cameras, UPD (and the community) has benefited from this technology. Imagine if these were placed along the extent of the whole Redwood trail….
This kind of stuff is exactly why I have no respect for the proponents of the rail trail. They could care less if a property nor homeowner get burned into oblivion as long as their homeless friends have a place to stay out of sight. As long as they are out of sight they can claim they are doing something about the problem…
This seems misguided. When does support for a public pedestrian way equate to not caring about arson?
Should we stop building public roads because some people don’t tie up their chains?
We’re lucky Mike’s only 2 braincells working overtime on this comment didn’t start a fire in this comment section like rubbing two sticks together.
Mike,
It’s very likely that because of the rail trail and the ensuing increased public access/usage and visibility has led to less fires in that particular area and increased ease of enforcement.
There certainly is a LOT less people camping along the path than in years past.
In my experence with other long trails of this type you quickly see a lot of use from HIkers, Cyclists and families. This attracts tourist money to the state and I have found that increased dollars means increased survalence and more safety. Arsonists work in the shadows, and the mere fact that he was caught so quickly will be a deterrence in the future for this area. If a community works together and speaks up those who would do us harm will be dealt with.