Bear Fire suspect already arrested in looting
A 54-year-old Boulder Creek man arrested Friday on suspicion of starting a nearly 400-acre wildfire in the Santa Cruz Mountains was already in jail for looting a home that had to be evacuated during the blaze, sheriff ’s officials said.
Marlon Dale Coy was arrested on suspicion of arson of an inhabited structure and arson of a structure or forest land, authorities said. He also faces a charge of arson causing great bodily injury, stemming from firefighters getting hurt while battling the flames, officials announced at a Friday news conference.
The Bear Fire started at a building in Boulder Creek at Bear Canyon and Deer Creek roads about 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 16. Thirteen firefighters — including at least two inmate workers — were injured battling the fire that destroyed six structures, threatened 300 homes and caused mandatory evacuations in the area.
The blaze broke out as thousands of firefighters were already battling multiple wind-driven wildland infernos that swept through Northern California, destroying nearly 9,000 buildings and killing 42 people, most of them in Sonoma and Napa counties.
“I want him to rot in jail,” 75-year-old Emmanuela Raquelle, one of the Boulder Creek residents forced to flee her home the night of the fire, said of Coy.
Raquelle and other residents forced to evacuate their neighborhoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains said the area where the fire originated has been plagued by burglaries and people abusing drugs.
“All the slime balls have been living there for years,” said Raquelle, who was allowed to re-enter her home on Monday.
Her husband, Thomas Bird, president of the Bear Creek Canyon neighborhood association, said Coy was known to people in the area as someone “living in the woods.”
“There certainly is a sense of relief they caught this guy,” Bird said. “He’s not going to be in our neighborhood.”
The house Bird and his wife built 25 years ago was saved, but two homes and four outbuildings were leveled in the fire, sheriff ’s officials said. More than 20 vehicles were destroyed, including five recreational vehicles and 17 cars. One of the destroyed homes belonged to a woman who had been dating Coy, sheriff ’s officials said.
The fire was not started at the home of Coy’s girlfriend, but she lived nearby, said sheriff ’s officials.
Coy has been in jail since Oct. 17 when he was arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a home within an evacuation area, authorities said. He already had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in connection with another criminal case, in which details were not disclosed.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said he expects Coy to face severe consequences.
“Rarely have I seen a more reckless action than those committed by this depraved man. If not for the heroic efforts by first responders, he could easily be facing murder charges today,” Hart said. “It’s my hope that the court recognizes the severity of this case.”
The Santa Cruz County district attorney’s office plans to file charges early next week.
Several panicked 911 calls when the Bear Fire started prompted deputies to quickly evacuate the area and begin an investigation. Witnesses reported seeing Coy with several men in the area at the time. Interviews with the men and additional evidence led detectives to suspect Coy started the fire at 475 Dianes Way in Boulder Creek after he became unhinged during an argument at the location, said Sgt. Chris Clark, a sheriff ’s office spokesman.
Sheriff ’s officials would not release further details on the argument or say how Coy allegedly started the fire.
Coy was arrested a day after the fire started — but on suspicion of looting a house on Hidden Springs Lane that had been evacuated. Upon returning to the neighborhood, a resident found the house ransacked and a bicycle, clothing and $15,000 worth of jewelry missing, Clark said.
Deputies found Coy riding the stolen bike while wearing clothes taken in the burglary, and carrying a backpack with the swiped jewelry inside, authorities said.
Coy has been in a Santa Cruz County jail since his arrest and was re-arrested there Friday. His bail was set at $800,000.
News of Coy’s arrest came as firefighters successfully installed control lines around the Bear Fire to reach 100 percent containment Thursday night, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Crews were expected to stay on scene a few more days patrolling for flare-ups, officials said.
“Residents are encouraged to be vigilant and report any possible signs of smoke,” Cal Fire said.
At the height of the fire, some 1,000 firefighters worked in rugged, steep terrain to stop the spread of flames. The injured firefighters suffered burns, smoke inhalation and other injuries from slipping in the rough terrain. Three firefighters were seriously injured, and one remains in the hospital, officials said.
A Cal Fire order banning all outdoor burning in the area remains in effect. All evacuations have been lifted.
“It’s my hope that the court recognizes the severity of this case.” Jim Hart, Santa Cruz County sheriff