Glenn County Sheriff’s Office: Man admits to starting fire at Willows church
WILLOWS » A Sacramento man is being held in the Glenn County Jail on a $200,000 bail amount after Glenn County Sheriff’s Office deputies said he confessed to breaking into a church on Sunday and setting fire to it.
The Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Randy
Louis White, 35, was arrested on suspicion of arson in the aftermath of a fire at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 810 North Humboldt Road in Willows.
The Willows Fire Department and Glenn County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a structure fire at the location on Sunday. They arrived to see a substantial amount of smoke emanating from vents on the church’s north side, in addition to a broken window on the east side of the structure.
Sheriff’s Office deputies entered the church in search of potential suspects or victims of the fire, but were forced to retreat “due to the overwhelming nature of the fire and heavy smoke,” according to the release. The company nurse was later contacted for the deputies who entered the building and experienced smoke inhalation, though they did not require further medical attention.
With the assistance of the Willows Fire Department, the Sheriff’s Office conducted an arson investigation, which eventually led to White and a confession from him, as well as corroborating evidence. According to the Sheriff’s Office, White admitted to breaking a window, entering the church and purposely setting fire to the building. It was not revealed how or when deputies located White.
White was booked into the Butte County Jail later on Sunday. The case is now being forwarded to the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information related to the case to contact Sgt. Brandon Draper at 530-934-6431.