ARSONIST FOUND GUILTY

INJURED FOUR SACRAMENTO FIREFIGHTERS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento District Attorney Jan Scully, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), San Francisco Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Scot Thomasson, Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel and Sacramento Fire Chief Ray Jones announced Robert Durst was found guilty of an arson that caused great bodily injury to four Sacramento firefighters.

On April 26, a Sacramento jury with one day of deliberation found Durst, age 46, a resident of Sacramento guilty of intentionally setting the fire that caused great bodily injury, two counts of burglary, two counts of theft of property, and carrying a loaded firearm.

On July 5, 2010, at approximately 1:30 in the morning, Durst placed a lit candle in his neighbor’s vacant house and opened the gas valves on the stove. Eight hours later when Sacramento firefighters went to the home for reports of a gas leak a massive explosion occurred when they opened the structure for ventilation. Three firefighters were burned and another suffered serious injuries.

Durst is scheduled to be sentenced May 24, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. in Department 16 of the Sacramento Superior Court.

This investigation was conducted by the Sacramento Police Department in conjunction with agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and investigators with the Sacramento Fire Department. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Rod Norgaard.

ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating arson violations. More information on ATF can be found at atf.gov