SAN FRANCISCO (AP/KRON) — Authorities say a GPS tracker revealed the vehicle of an arson suspect was at the scene of a destructive wildfire about a minute before it started north of San Francisco.
The details are contained in a summary of state fire investigators’ probe of Damin Pashilk.
He is accused of starting more than a dozen fires since July 2015, including the Aug. 13 blaze that destroyed 189 homes in Lake County.
Pashilk pleaded not guilty Wednesday to arson charges.
The summary says surveillance footage placed Pashilk’s vehicle near the scene of two small fires on July 2, 2015. Investigators placed the GPS tracker on his car the following month.
Lake County’s Chief Deputy District Attorney Rich Hinchcliff confirmed to KRON Wednesday that Pashilk was charged with four additional counts in court. Pashilk pleaded not guilty.
Pashilk will be back in court on Oct. 25 when a date for a preliminary hearing will likely be set.
The surveillance video mentioned in the court documents CANNOT be made available to the public until it’s introduced as evidence in the trial…