Story at a glance
- The Solano County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday accused Vacaville resident Victor Serriteno of intentionally starting the Markley Fire to cover up the murder of 32-year-old Priscilla Castro.
- Her body was found burned on Sept. 2, 2020.
- Serriteno will be charged with additional counts of murder and arson and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
Authorities say a deadly Northern California wildfire that was sparked last summer was intentionally set by a man to cover up a murder, according to The Associated Press.
The Solano County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday accused Vacaville resident Victor Serriteno of starting the Markley Fire that was ignited on Aug. 18, 2020, and eventually merged with other wildfires nearby to become part of the massive LNU Complex Fire.
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Serriteno was arrested back in September in the death of 32-year-old Priscilla Castro, whose body was found burned on Sept. 2. She vanished in mid-August after never returning from a date with Serriteno in Vacaville. The two had met each other online.
Serriteno pleaded not guilty in Castro’s murder.
Authorities said the suspect allegedly set the fire to hide Castro’s body. The blaze then burned out of control, tearing through more than 30,000 acres in Solano County and resulting in the deaths of two other people.
The Sheriff’s Office said the two deaths are now considered homicides.
“Based on the extensive investigation, we believe Serriteno deliberately set the Markley Fire in an attempt to conceal his crime,” authorities said.
Serriteno will be charged with additional counts of murder and arson and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.
The LNU Complex fires burned across much of the wine country area of Northern California from Aug. 17 to Oct. 2. The fires burned more than 375,000 acres and killed a total of six people.
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