Vallejo Mayor Says Arson At Law Office Was Act Of Intimidation
VALLEJO (CBS SF) - On Monday, Vallejo Mayor Osby Davis called the fire at his law business early Saturday morning "a malicious and cowardly act" in an escalating attempt to intimidate him.
"Let me make it clear that it has failed," Davis said.
The 1:30 a.m. fire at an office shared by Davis and fellow attorney Micheal Thompson at 410 Tuolumne St. across the street from the Solano County Superior Courthouse is being investigated as arson.
The blaze was 50 percent involved when firefighters arrived. It damaged a waiting room and office area before it was extinguished at 1:45 a.m., Vallejo Fire Chief Paige Meyer said.
"I am not now, nor will I be intimidated by such cowardly acts. On the contrary, acts of attempted intimidation only strengthen my resolve to continue to do what is right and good," Davis said.
Davis said he has been the victim of other acts of vandalism over the past 10 months, including two other broken windows at the law office and one at the building that was his campaign headquarters.
The Mayor's motorcycle also was stolen in May from a parking lot at City Hall.
Davis said he believes the incidents are related to his position as mayor and not his legal profession.
"To believe otherwise at this particular time would be to ignore the facts of escalating acts of attempted intimidation," Davis said.
"However, I am not prepared to link them all or to discount the fact that they could be related. I will just wait for police and fire to complete their investigation," Davis said.
Davis said he is not fearful for his life but is concerned for his family, and he will be more aware and conscious of his surroundings.
Davis said he has been asked if he believes the arson and vandalism incidents are related to the police officer-involved fatal shooting of 23-year-old Mario Romero outside his parked car at his north Vallejo home on Sept. 2.
The Vallejo City Council last week backed Davis' call for the state Attorney General's Office to review the investigation of the shooting.
Police said Romero reached for a gun in his waistband and began to stand up with the gun in his hand as he turned toward the officers.
The weapon turned out to be an Airsoft pellet gun.
The Solano County District Attorney's Office and Vallejo police are investigating the fatal shooting.
"Let me say that what I think is not the issue. I am sure that this incident raises many thoughts and speculations in all of our minds, but we are not sure of anything," Davis said.
"It is best to allow the investigation to be completed before I express any thoughts or come to any conclusions," Davis said.
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