Newman man arrested on arson charge in school district building fire
A 21-year-old Newman resident was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of setting fire to a building belonging to the Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District, authorities said.
According to the Newman Police Department, officers responded to reports of a structure fire in the early morning hours of June 29 in the 1000 block of Merced Street. The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported. However, the fire caused significant damage.
Investigators soon began treating the incident as an act of arson. A person of interest was identified, and Newman Police Cpl. William Parrott authored a search warrant for a residence linked to the suspect. During the search, officers reportedly located clothing matching what the suspect was seen wearing.
Carlos Rangel Bernal, 21, of Newman was arrested after providing a full confession, police said. Officers also recovered a lighter believed to have been used to start the fire.
Rangel Bernal was booked into the Stanislaus County jail on suspicion of arson, under California Penal Code Section 451.
The incident remains under investigation.
This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 1:07 PM.
