RIVERSIDE, California – In a chilling turn of events, federal prosecutors have charged Jonathan A. Barajas Nava, 36, from Albuquerque, New Mexico, with attempting to burn down both a church preschool and a strip mall in San Bernardino County.
The indictment stems from allegations that on April 24, Nava attempted to set the Retreat Church and Yucaipa Christian Preschool ablaze while children and staff were inside. Authorities claim he poured an ignitable liquid on the entrance, lighting it on fire. Miraculously, no one was injured in this harrowing attempt.
That same day, Nava allegedly targeted a strip mall in Yucaipa, pouring the same ignitable liquid on the building’s gas meters and setting them ablaze. Once again, there were no injuries despite the dangerous situation.
Nava was arrested on April 24 and charged initially in state court before being transferred to federal jurisdiction. His first appearance in federal court was on May 8, and he has been ordered detained pending trial.
Should Nava be convicted of both counts of attempted destruction of property by means of fire, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a statutory maximum of 40 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Dahlquist and Austin D. Young are handling the prosecution.
A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely allegations; Nava is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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