Aptos Car Fire Suspects Arrested

Press Conference by Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart

We are pleased to inform the community that we have arrested those responsible for the Arson Car Fires that occurred on Townsend Drive in Aptos last November. This arrest is a prime example of how we partner with our community and received information from a concerned citizen that led to the arrest of those responsible for these crimes. This case affected dozens of people who live in the area, as well as the Aptos community at large, and we have been working for the past year to bring it to a close.

On November 22, 2014, Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a car fire on Townsend Drive in Aptos. During the initial investigation, Deputies discovered three cars that were intentionally set on fire and 16 other cars with windows smashed, parked in the Rio Del Mar and Seacliff Drive neighborhoods. All were believed to be connected to the same crime spree and with the total estimated property damage in excess of $100,000.

Crime Scene Investigators processed the scene looking for both DNA and fingerprint evidence. A gas can believed to have been used by the suspect(s) to start the fires was found with a broken baseball bat. Detectives scoured Aptos neighborhoods, going door to door, looking for any eye witnesses. Sheriff’s School Resources Officers spoke with students to track down any potential leads. A press release was issued and the case was broadcast to the public using our social media sites.

This case caused a great deal of fear in the community and resulted in a large town hall meeting to address resident concerns about the crimes. We continued to meet with residents as we worked to develop further investigative leads and process the evidence collected from the scenes.

Eventually, a concerned citizen came forward with information about who had set the fires. The suspects were identified as two 17-year-old Aptos teens and then 18-year-old Joseph Smith. The teens were contacted by detectives and confessed to their participation in the arson cases. After being interviewed, Joseph Smith joined the United States Navy and left the Santa Cruz area. Detectives worked closely with the District Attorney’s Office and obtained a felony arrest warrant charging Smith with multiple counts of Arson and Felony Vandalism.

On October 6, 2015, Sheriff’s Detectives travelled to Pensacola Florida where Smith was stationed and arrested him with the assistance of Naval Criminal Investigative Services. Smith was taken to Escambia County Jail in Florida where he was booked into custody and then extradited back to Santa Cruz County. Smith has been booked into Santa Cruz County Jail and he is currently out on bail. His first court appearance is scheduled for October 21, 2015. Both teens were arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall.

Thanks to the efforts of our investigators, the District Attorney’s Office and the community, we were able to identify and arrest those responsible for these crimes. We will be following these cases closely as they proceed through our local justice system.