Man arrested after starting California wildfire to cover up woman’s death, police say

A California man charged with murder is now accused of starting a wildfire in order to cover up his crime, according to police.

Victor Serriteno was arrested in September 2020 and charged with the murder of Priscilla Castro after her body was discovered in the Stebbins-Cold Canyon, according to the Solano County Sheriff’s Office.

The Markley Fire started on Aug. 18, 2020 and Douglas Mai, 82, and Leon “James” Bone, 64, were discovered dead in their homes as a result of the blaze, according to authorities.

Officials said an 8-month-long investigation found that the Markley Fire was intentionally started by Serriteno to cover up Castro’s death. Police brought additional charges against Serriteno on Wednesday, including arson and murder in the cases of the other victims of the fire.

The Markley Fire merged with the Hennessy Fire to form the “LNU Lightning Complex” — the fifth largest wildfire in California history, according to the California Department of Foresty and Fire Protection.

The LNU Complex burned over 363,000 acres, destroyed nearly 1,500 structures and led to six deaths. It burned Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Yolo and Solano counties.

“Our continued condolences go out to the families affected by these crimes and we hope that this arrest can provide some degree of solace,” Solano County Sheriff’s Office officials said.

This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 10:14 AM with the headline "Man arrested after starting California wildfire to cover up woman’s death, police say."