ANTIOCH — A man is in custody on suspicion of setting two fires within 20 minutes of each other. The suspect was detained by a witness and subsequently arrested by the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
Both fires erupted along a walking trail near Buckeye Way shortly before midnight on May 22. The two separate brush fires occurred approximately 200 yards apart, not far from nearby homes.
Fire crews just finished extinguishing the first blaze, when a second fire was reported. When firefighters in the area responded to the second fire, they also located a witness detaining a suspected arsonist.
The suspect was identified as Robert Steed, a 21-year-old resident of Antioch. Steed was arrested May 23 at 12:04 a.m., without further incident.
Steed was transported and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility, where he remains in custody in lieu of $75,000 bond.
A prepared statement from the fire protection district says. “Steed admitted to setting the (second) fire, saying he likes fire and that he had it under control. And that he was going to put it out.”
Consequently, Steed was taken into custody for willfully, maliciously, and unlawfully setting a fire. He was booked for felony arson to forest land [PC 451 (C)].
If he is convicted, Steed faces possible sentencing of 2 to 6 years confinement in state prison.
