Man convicted of setting fire to Modesto church

A man who set fire to the basement of the Christ Unity Baptist Church in Modesto in August has been convicted of felony arson and sentenced to 18 years in state prison, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

On Dec. 5, 51-year-old Javier Cruz, Jr., waived his right to a jury trial and pleaded no contest to arson of an inhabited structure, a “strike” offense under California’s “Three Strikes” law. He also admitted having been previously convicted of robbery in 1995 and of having been sentenced to prison twice, once in 1992 and again in 2002.

Cruz, who worked as a caretaker for the church on L Street, started seven small fires in the basement of the building.

A sprinkler system put out the fire before it could spread, limiting the burn damage but causing water damage.

A witness who saw Cruz breaking windows at the church contacted a security officer, who then called 911.

Modesto Police officers responded and found Cruz inside, hiding among the pews. He refused to leave the building for an hour before being taken into custody.

Cruz was originally identified by authorities as as 57-year-old Theodore Garcia, which turned out to be one of several alliases he used.

After taking the plea and finding Cruz guilty of the crime, Stanislaus Superior Court Judge Rick Distaso sentenced Cruz to serve 18 years in state prison.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Man convicted of setting fire to Modesto church."