SANTA CLARA COUNTY – Santa Clara Sheriff’s Deputies arrested an arson suspect, who was caught trying to burn down an area near his campsite in the Mount Hamilton area of unincorporated Santa Clara County.
On Monday, June 9 the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Department made an arson arrest for a fire that was set near Bella Madeira and Casa Madeira Road, in unincorporated San Jose. 31-year-old Tuan Tran, a transient camping in the area, was identified as a possible suspect in the blaze. It was just after midnight that he was arrested.
Tuan Tran, not your typical camping enthusiast.
According to Sgt. Stenderup with the Santa Clara Sheriff’s Office, “When the fire department arrived on scene they were confronted by a male subject who was acting strangely and was trying to prevent them from putting out the fire”.
Cal Fire and Sheriff Deputies cased the area near the blaze and discovered Tran at an illegal campsite. “Deputies and a Cal Fire Arson Investigator began investigating where the fire started and found Tran’s campsite,” Stenderup said.
Deputies found narcotics at the campsite, which may have explained why Tran was acting so strange. Because the search was late at night, authorities questioned his motives and thought maybe they were near an illegal marijuana grow site. “Investigators are currently following up to determine if there is an illegal marijuana garden in the area,” Stenderup said.
The area was taped off until Deputies returned early in the morning to hike through the foothills to search for a possible illegal grow site in the area. After several hours of searching, it was determined that there was none.
“Tran was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on charges of arson and possession of a controlled substance,” Stenderup said.
Tran, who lists his occupation as a “Loan Officer” had been arrested one month earlier for possession and being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was picked up at 10:30 pm at or near Mt. Pleasant High School in San Jose on Friday, May 9. Though identified in this case as a transient, his official arrest records list his home in South-East San Jose in the hills near The Ranch Golf Club and Hellyer County Park.
