2 Men Accused Of Sparking More Than 30 High Desert Fires
VICTORVILLE (CBSLA.com) — Two men were arrested on arson charges in connection with more than 30 fires in the High Desert area going back to August of last year, this following a months-long surveillance operation.
Cody McGee, 26, and Jerry Fontaine, 50, both of Adelanto, were arraigned in San Bernardino County Superior Court on multiple counts of arson Tuesday.
The men were arrested Jan. 6 following a dumpster fire at the Golden Sands Apartment complex in Victorville. They were apprehended by San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies and San Bernardino County Fire Department investigators who were conducting surveillance.
According to the fire department, the two men are suspected in more than 30 fires at the Mountain Vista Apartments in Victorville, one of which damaged the apartment building. There were no injuries in any of the fires.
McGee and Fontaine are also accused of starting a two-alarm blaze at J&K Feed and Pet Supplies in Hesperia on Oct. 23. The suspects set hay bales on fire, the fire department said.
In November, the same men allegedly attempted to set three separate fires at the Hesperia Feed Bin. All three were extinguished before they could cause any significant damage.
Chuck Shelton with the Hesperia Feed Bin told CBS2 security cameras caught footage of the men returning to the Feed Bin to try and ignite hay bales.
"I don't know why, we don't know them or anything," Shelton said. "We saw pictures of them, I'd never seen them before."
The men are being held at the Adelanto Detention Center each on $50,000 bail.
