String of unsolved arsons stretches back to late November
Police are offering an undisclosed reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of anybody involved in a string of arsons dating back to late November,
The five arsons, all located in south Gilroy, took place at night or early morning. Police and fire investigators have claimed little progress in solving all the crimes except one.
In chronological order, the incidents took place at:
South County Housing’s Cannery housing development, 251 Lewis St.; Nov. 23, 5:08 p.m.
Budget Car Rental, 505 E. 10th St.; Oct. 16, 4:34 a.m.
Bay Sheets, 6791 Alexander St.; Dec. 1, 2:05 a.m.
Gilroy Ford Lincoln Mercury, 6290 Monterey St.; Dec. 1, 3:38 a.m.
Gateway School, 7151 Hanna St.; Jan. 3, 10:18 p.m.
Last week, police arrested two men for arson, burglary and vehicle theft in connection with the Budget fire. Robert Cuevas, 32, and Joseph Uvalles, 21, were arrested after the Santa Clara County Crime Lab confirmed that evidence collected at the scene of the fire linked the men to the crime, police said. The men were also linked to the crime through surveillance video, which showed the men at the car rental.
Uvalles has been a suspect in the arson since the day after the crime. He was nabbed after taking Amador County law enforcement on a high-speed, early-morning chase spanning two counties while driving a stolen pickup truck. He was arrested for auto theft, possession of stolen property, evading a peace officer and being an unlicensed driver.
However, police have not made any arrests or released descriptions of suspects in the other four arsons. However, some of the institutions damaged by the fires are still dealing with their effects.
The November fire at a South County Housing development charred a partially built townhouse and damaged three additional units, causing at least $10,000 in damages weeks of delay.
The December fire at Bay Sheets – which raged more than 40 feet into the sky – claimed several rows of 5-foot-tall commercial-grade paper rolls – stacked three to four high – and caused $2 million in damages, fire officials said. The fire at the car dealership was small and primarily contained to the roof, but caused between $15,000 and $20,000 in damages to the building’s roof, exhaust and air conditioning, said Joe Lopez, a dealership manager. These arsons were followed three hours later by a suspicious fire at nearby Gilroy Sports Park.
The Gateway School, which had four classrooms gutted in its fire, was forced to send its students – many of whom have learning disabilities and difficulty adjusting to new surroundings – to school facilities strewn across South County. After ordering portables to the campus, administrators moved students back to the campus last week.
Parties with information regarding these arsons can contact the Gilroy Police Department at 846-0350 and ask for Detective Madruga or Crime Stoppers at (408)947-STOP (7867). Parties wishing to remain anonymous can call the Gilroy Police tip line at (408)846-0330.
