A woman has been arrested in connection with a blaze that tore through an El Cajon apartment complex, with authorities suspecting arson to be the cause. Mavis Williams, 43, was nabbed by a deputy from the Lakeside Sheriff's Substation following a tip on her whereabouts, ending her brief stint as a fugitive. She found herself in cuffs in the wee hours of Sunday on the 700 block of E. Bradley Avenue in Unincorporated El Cajon, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
The fire, which ignited late Thursday evening and ravaged a row of 14 garages detached from the main residential structure, demanded a response from multiple fire departments, deputies scrambled to the scene moments after receiving multiple reports about a significant conflagration just before 9:30 p.m, nearby residents witnessed flames consuming the property located at the 400 block of E. Bradley Avenue. Firefighters from Heartland, San Miguel, and Lakeside battalions combated the blaze for over an hour before subduing it, and soon after, Williams became the main suspect in the case. The Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit, investigating the fire's origin, determined that Williams had been residing in the garage where the fire commenced, according to officials.
Detectives pieced together the events leading to the inferno, eventually pinpointing Williams and a group of homeless individuals cohabiting in the structure as integral to the outbreak. However, Williams proved elusive initially, ducking officials and prompting a public appeal for her location; she faced charges under California Penal Code Section 452 (b) – unlawfully and recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure. A reward of up to $1,000 was floated for clues potentially leading to her capture, with an anonymous tip line at Crime Stoppers fielding calls from the community.
Now in custody, Williams looks down the barrel of serious charges. She was booked into the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility for her alleged hand in recklessly causing a fire. The Sheriff's Department, associated arson unit, and San Diego County Crime Stoppers heralded the public and media for assistance leading to Williams' arrest. The event's aftermath smolders as investigators probe the fire's circumstances. The Bomb/Arson Unit remains on the forefront, tackling cases with a semblance of suspicion, injuries of a severe nature, or involving fatalities as indicated by the sheriff's officials.
