Colin Atagi
The Press Democrat
(TNS)
Aug. 30—For a second time, a Mendocino County man has been ordered to stand trial and face allegations he started a fire that destroyed at least 30 homes nearly a year ago.
A preliminary hearing was held in Mendocino County Superior Court Tuesday for Devin Lamar Johnson, who is charged with arson in the Sept. 12, 2021 Hopkins Fire that ravaged the town of Calpella.
His arraignment is scheduled to take place Sept. 15, Mendocino County Deputy District Attorney Heidi Larson said.
Johnson was ordered to stand trial during a previous preliminary hearing in November. But because of his erratic behavior in court questions arose about his mental competency during that hearing. In February, officials concluded he was not mentally capable of helping defend himself and was ordered to undergo treatment to regain his competency.
Court proceedings resumed last month after it was determined Johnson's competency had been restored.
Unlike previous hearings, Johnson sat quietly Tuesday. A pair of Mendocino County sheriff's deputies were in the courtroom, but they did not stand guard beside him as others had done previously.
Tuesday's proceedings mirrored November's preliminary hearing. Most of the focus was on video footage that showed Johnson at the scene, and on his interview with authorities.
Mendocino County Sheriff's Detective Luis Espinoza testified that he interviewed Johnson after the fire. He presented footage that indicated Johnson was there.
Johnson verified he was in the area that day, Espinoza said.
According to the detective, Johnson told him, "'I was just hanging out.'"
The prosecution also played surveillance video that showed someone running from the fire's point of origin, as the smoke stated to grow.
Ukiah Valley Fire Authority Battalion Chief Justin Buckingham testified the person in the footage was Johnson.
The fire consumed 257 acres between a hillside bordered by the Russian River and Lake Mendocino. It also destroyed at least 30 homes.
Flames spread quickly up a 1,000-foot ridge and down to the western shore of Lake Mendocino before burning sections of the reservoir that had been left dry as a result of California's drought.
The fire destroyed homes along Eastside Calpella Road, a north and south street parallel to the Russian River.
About 200 people were evacuated in triple-digit temperatures, as gusty winds fed the fire. Despite the property damage, no injuries were reported.
Buckingham testified that investigators ruled out all other possible causes such as lightning, campfires and sparks from welding, before concluding that the fire was the result of arson.
Investigators were led to Johnson after he appeared in a photo taken by a local photographer the day of the blaze. He was watching the fire as he stood on the Moore Street Bridge, which crosses a dried-up section of the Russian River.
Johnson was arrested two days later. He could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison, if convicted.
You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at [email protected]. On Twitter @colin_atagi
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