Redding man being evicted faces arson charges after Sunday house fire
Damon Arthur
A Redding man who was being evicted was arrested in connection to a fire Sunday that damaged the home he lived in east of Redding.
Matthew Urban, 36, was arrested Monday on suspicion of arson and burglary in connection to a fire that caused more than $50,000 damage to a home on Yuki Yama Lane between Redding and Palo Cedro.
Darren Stewart, a captain with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said law enforcement officers caught up with Urban at the TA truck stop off Knighton Road south of Redding.
Urban was a tenant in the home, Stewart said.
Debbie Reierson, who owns the home and lives nearby, said that if Urban had not been released from jail in connection to unrelated criminal charges filed against him, her home would not have been damaged.
"Shasta County Jail failed miserably by letting him out. To me, our system is way messed up. I don't care if we have too many people in jail or not," Reierson said.
She also worried that if he is released from Shasta County Jail on the arson and burglary charges he would try to retaliate against her.
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Reierson said she had been trying for the past six months to evict Urban and other tenants, including a woman and three children.
"It's just been a nightmare," Reierson said Sunday, looking at the blackened outside walls of the home.
Stewart didn't want to go into why Urban may have wanted to set the house on fire until he had been arraigned. He also declined to discuss how Urban allegedly set the fire.
Firefighters were called to the two-story home at about 12:35 p.m. Sunday and found the garage on fire. No one was at the home when firefighters arrived, a Cal Fire official said.
Stewart said firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, preventing the fire from causing serious damage to the living area above the garage.
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The interior of the garage was blackened and pieces of furniture were stacked outside in front of the home, along with a child's car seat and other household items.
Reierson said numerous pieces of furniture and other items that were damaged by the fire were family heirlooms that were priceless to her.
Two cats that were living at the home were also injured in the blaze, she said.
Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is among the first on the scene at breaking news incidents, reporting real time on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Damon is part of a dedicated team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-225-8226 and damon.arthur@redding.com. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!