Arson suspect scheduled for early June preliminary hearing

Judge orders Xavier H. Williams, 32, to return June 1 and June 3

A 32-year-old Vallejo man arrested on a felony warrant and on suspicion of arson in connection with the early Tuesday morning blaze at Anchor Pantry in Vallejo that also damaged the Joint, a neighboring retail store, has been arraigned and will return to Solano County Superior Court in the coming days for more legal proceedings.

Appearing for the arraignment Thursday in Department 23, Xavier H. Williams heard Judge John B. Ellis order him to return at 8:30 a.m. June 1 for a readiness conference and at 10 a.m. June 3 for a preliminary hearing in the Justice Center in Fairfield.

Williams, who pleaded not guilty and is represented by the Solano County Public Defender, remains in custody, with bail set at $75,000, in Solano County Jail in Fairfield.

Besides the felony arson charge, he faces several other felony charges based on warrants, including carrying a loaded firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and vandalism. Williams also faces a dozen misdemeanors stemming from a warrant, charges that range from contempt of court to possession of a controlled substance to petty theft.

As previously reported in the Vallejo Times-Herald, Vallejo public safety officials reported a 3:26 a.m. dispatch call indicating the Anchor Pantry, a gourmet grocery store at 617 Marin St., was on fire.

Investigators allege that Williams lit the fire there. He was found nearby, in the 400 block of Santa Clara Street, where he was arrested on felony warrants and the arson charge.

Vallejo Fire Department spokesperson and firefighter Aaron Klauber said that the owners of Anchor Pantry noticed that they had a ring alarm and video of a man at the front of the storefront trying to light a fire. Firefighters were first on the scene and tried to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher to keep the blaze in check but without success, according to Klauber.

The fire went to a second alarm, and the flames were doused in 14 minutes. The second alarm was called due to neighboring buildings with multiple floors, according to Klauber. No injuries were reported, but Anchor Pantry had most of its first floor damaged while The Joint, a retail shop offering handmade vintage and modern goods, was redtagged, meaning it is considered unsafe to occupy.

Two GoFundMe pages were started by Alibi Bookshop co-owner Karen Finlay soon after the fire was put out. Alibi Bookshop is across the street from Anchor Pantry and The Joint.

The fundraising page for Anchor Pantry is www.gofundme.com/f/help-jessicaand-frank-rebuild-anchorpantry.

A separate page was made for the Joint, owned by Stephanie Brown, at www.gofundme.com/f/help-stephanie-rebuild-thejoint-vallejo.