Photo: Stock Image
FREMONT— A deliveryman allegedly started multiple fires in Fremont and Newark. Joseph B. Paulson, a 37-year-old resident of Newark, is being held in custody at Alameda County Santa Rita Jail. Bond for his release was set at $75,000.
Suspicious fires began occurring on April 2. First Newark police responded to an unoccupied building, where a stairway burned. A passerby extinguished the fire before it could spread beyond the stairs.
Fremont police and firefighters started responding to fires beginning at 11:45 a.m. Furniture was set ablaze, near Thornton Avenue and Balboa Way. Witnesses provided responding police officers with a description of the suspect.
About 20 minutes later, more furniture was set alight on the 35000 block of Fremont Boulevard. Additional small fires were started in northern Fremont during the next 90 minutes. Witnesses gave the same general description of the suspect.
While a Fremont PD sergeant was searching for the suspect, he observed smoke near Interstate 880 and Thornton Avenue. The sergeant proceeded to the area. He found Paulson, who was allegedly trying to start a brush fire adjacent to the roadway. Paulson was arrested at 1:52 p.m.
Damage from the fires was mostly limited to abandoned property, garbage, and vegetation. No injuries were reported. Paulson now faces arson charges.
Paulson has been getting in trouble with the law regularly since 2018. He has seven prior arrests related to controlled substances. He also has previous arrests for possession of burglary tools, forgery, and other offenses.
