Suspect in San Jose post office arson brother of Pat Tillman
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Authorities are investigating a fire that sparked at a San Jose post office early Sunday morning after a car crashed into the building, causing extensive damage.
Authorities have arrested a man on suspicion of arson in connection with the incident. The person arrested is Richard Tillman, the brother of former Arizona Cardinals player Pat Tillman, who left to join the U.S. Army and died due to friendly fire in Afghanistan.
A car struck the front of the Almaden Valley post office around 3 a.m. on Crown Boulevard. San Jose police officers and firefighters arrived to find the building on fire.
More than 50 firefighters spent about 90 minutes extinguishing the flames.
"Last night, between 2:30 and 3 a.m. essentially got woken up by a loud bang," said Greg Watkins, who lives in the area.
Possible arson under investigation
U.S. Postal Inspector Matthew Norfleet said officials are considering the fire an intentional act.
"We’re definitely investigating it as possibly an intentional act, so driving the vehicle into the building and then starting the fire can’t be ruled out as having been done on purpose," Norfleet said.
San Jose Police said Richard Tillman, 44, of San Jose was taken into custody on suspicion of arson. He was the driver of the vehicle.
49er Pat Tillman was a native of San Jose.
While officials with the USPS did not confirm the family relationship between the suspect and Pat Tillman, KTVU did receive a statement from the Tillman family.
"Our family is aware that my brother Richard has been arrested. First and foremost, we are relieved that no one was physically harmed," read the statement signed by Kevin Tillman.
"We have limited information at this time but we are in communication with local authorities and are providing as much background and context as we can. To be clear, it’s no secret that Richard has been battling severe mental health issues for many years. He has been livestreaming, what I’ll call, his altered self on social media for anyone to witness. Unfortunately, securing the proper care and support for him has proven incredibly difficult - or rather, impossible. As a result, none of this is as shocking as it should be. We have nothing further to add at this time," the statement read.
Investigators found a pile of belongings near the crash site outside the post office, including a box containing a black-and-white photo of Pat Tillman in his football uniform.
"It’s been reported to us that this person has been broadcasting on a video channel, so there may be video broadcasts related to this event," Norfleet added.
Graffiti that read "Viva La Me" was also discovered on the front of the building.
"Those markings were not on the building yesterday. What their connection is to the fire and crash is so far unexplained. I cannot think of a reason why that would make sense, but that’s one of the things we’re looking into," Norfleet said.
Most of the damage was concentrated at the front of the post office where the PO boxes were located.
"That’s uncalled for. That’s U.S. government, man, that’s part of the U.S. government. Those are the people who deliver our packages," said Richard McNicholl of San Jose.
What's Next
The U.S. Postal Service announced that the post office location will be temporarily closed, and mail operations will be transferred to the Willow Glen Post Office.
Richard Tillman is currently being held at the Santa Clara County Jail with no bail allowed. His next court date is scheduled for Wednesday at noon.
KTVU's Jesse Gary contributed to this report.
The Source: Original reporting by Betty Yu of KTVU. Statement from Pat Tillman's family.
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