Woman Arrested For Allegedly Starting 2-Alarm Grass Fire In Fremont Hills
FREMONT (CBS SF) -- A 43-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with starting a suspicious vegetation fire in the Fremont hills above Niles on June 23, Fremont police announced Monday.
The fire broke out around 10:00 p.m. in hills east of Mission Boulevard, near Nichols Road in the Niles area. The fire burned near some homes and about 30 residents were safely evacuated.
The fire burned about five acres before being fully contained within three hours. There were no injuries and no structures were damaged, police said. Hayward Fire, Cal Fire and Alameda County Fire responded to the incident.
Based on witness statements and evidence collected by police at the scene, the suspect apparently started the fire after a verbal altercation with a man behind the property of the Belvoir Springs, which is on the 36900 block of Mission Boulevard.
The suspect, Christina Haller, fired a flare from a modified pellet gun at the victim, police said. The flare missed the victim and landed in dry brush, which started the fire. Haller fled on foot into the hills and was not located. Officers recovered the modified flare gun at the scene.
On June 24, an arrest warrant was signed an Alameda County Superior Court Judge for Haller. She was charged with corporal Injury to person from a prior dating relationship, assault with a deadly weapon (firearm) and unlawfully causing a fire of structure/forest land.
Mountain View police arrested Haller on June 26. She is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.