Anderson is familiar to arson investigators in Lake County. He was charged with 16 counts of arson, along with two counts of being in possession of an incendiary device, according to Lake County court records. Justin Wayne Halstenberg was charged with 11 counts of arson, including using incendiary devices to start fires, aggravated arson and causing great bodily injury. Cal Fire officials did not say why investigators zeroed in on Anderson as the alleged culprit for the Lake County fires. A news release about Anderson's arrest posted on Facebook by Cal Fire's Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit set off a chorus of responses.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 10, 2024 01:54 UTC