Man arrested after allegedly setting RV on fire in Santa Rosa
The City of Santa Rosa Calif. Police Department logo. seal badge (Photo courtesy Santa Rosa Police Department)
SANTA ROSA, Calif. - A 47-year-old Santa Rosa man was arrested early Saturday morning after allegedly climbing onto an occupied RV and setting it on fire.
What we know:
Santa Rosa police officers were called to the scene on Santa Rosa Avenue just before 11 p.m. Friday after receiving reports the man had climbed on the vehicle's roof and would not come down, according to a statement from the Santa Rosa Police Department.
The man, who was identified by the Police Department as Jeramy Patton, allegedly claimed he had dynamite in his backpack and said he intended to set the RV on fire.
Police used a drone to monitor him as negotiations continued for him to come down.
Patton allegedly used a metal bar during that time to destroy the RV's air conditioning unit.
Police accused him of setting the roof on fire twice.
Nobody in the RV was reportedly injured.
Police hit him with 40 mm "less-lethal" rounds but he still refused to come down, according to the Police Department.
The fire continued to burn until the roof was at risk of collapse.
Firefighters from the Santa Rosa Fire Department used a low-pressure hose to slow the spread of the flames while police continued negotiating with Patton, who came down after a ladder was made available.
The arrest:
He was taken into custody at about 1 a.m. Saturday and was treated at a hospital for minor injuries before being booked into Sonoma County Jail on multiple allegations, including felony arson and vandalism.
Patton is scheduled to appear in court to determine the charges on Tuesday, according to jail records. He was already facing previous misdemeanor charges for a separate arrest.
The Source: Santa Rosa Police Department