Modesto man suspected of setting fire under Turlock restaurant
A Modesto man was charged Tuesday with allegedly starting a fire under a Turlock restaurant while employees and customers were inside.
Turlock Police on Sunday afternoon responded to 10 East Kitchen & Tap House on Main Street after several customers saw a man lighting cardboard on fire under a converted caboose that is part of the restaurant’s dining area, said Sgt. Mike Parmley.
The customers informed restaurant employees, who used a fire extinguisher to quickly extinguish the fire before any damage was done to the caboose.
Multiple witnesses described the suspect, later identified as 30-year-old Raman Kumar, to police.
Officers found Kumar about a half-mile away in the 700 block of North Golden State Boulevard, Parmley said.
Kumar was booked on suspicion of arson of an inhabited structure. The District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday charged him with a lesser crime of arson of property.
Parmely said it is unclear what, if any, connection Kumar has to the restaurant.
A representative from the restaurant could not be reached early Tuesday afternoon.
This story was originally published June 15, 2021 at 1:54 PM.
