Police arrested a suspect this week who allegedly set at least four fires in Morgan Hill on Christmas night, according to authorities.
The fires started shortly after 7pm Dec. 25, Morgan Hill Police said. MHPD officers and Morgan Hill Fire Department personnel responded to each fire.
The first incident was reported at the Safeway gas station, 100 Tennant Ave., police said. Officers arrived and found two garbage cans on fire. The officers activated the gas station’s emergency shutoff switch and extinguished the fire.
As police were still at the scene of that fire, several people reported a garbage can on fire at the Chevron gas station located at 15865 Monterey Road, MHPD said in a press release. An employee at the gas station extinguished that blaze, preventing it from spreading to nearby structures or fuel tanks.
A third fire was reported about 8pm Dec. 25, at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road. The fire department put that fire out before it was able to cause significant damage to the structure, police said.
Then at about 9:41pm, police and firefighters responded to a report of smoke in a stairwell of the Crossings apartment complex, 16800 Monterey Road, according to police. The blaze was extinguished before officers arrived, but it caused minor structure damage.
MHPD detectives and MHFD investigators determined that all of the fires were set intentionally and the incidents were likely connected, police said.
On Jan. 1, police identified Juan Mendez, 29, of Morgan Hill, as the primary suspect in the arsons, says the MHPD press release. Mendez was located and arrested on suspicion of numerous felony arson violations. Mendez was booked at Santa Clara County Jail.
“Given the close proximity between the fires and publicly traveled spaces, namely a gas station, a community center, and an apartment complex, Mendez’s criminal acts posed a clear and present danger to the safety of all Morgan Hill residents,” says the press release.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information can call MHPD Det. Adrian Sapien at 669.253.4995 or email Ad***********@mo********.gov .
Information can also be given anonymously at morgan-hill.ca.gov/FormCenter/Police-14/Morgan-Hill-Crime-Stoppers-88 or by calling 1.800.222.TIPS.
