Man Arrested For Starting Fire In Downtown Sonora Building
Sonora, CA — The Sonora Police Department reports that a man was recently arrested for starting a fire in an unoccupied building at the intersection South Stewart Street and Church Street.
43-year-old Grady Pinkevich of Sonora told officers that he is a transient and was trying to make the building his home. He told the PD there were items inside that he “set on fire to get rid of.”
The Sonora Fire Department responded and extinguished the smoldering items. Fire Chief Aimee New reported that if the small fire had gotten established it could have spread to other nearby businesses on the block. During the investigation, officers located a gas can and a handheld propane tank that was used to start the fire.
Pinkevich was arrested for arson immediately after the incident last week and booked into county jail on $50,000 bail. He remains in custody, according to the PD.
