Turlock man suspected of twice setting fire to home with young children inside
Turlock police have arrested a man suspected of twice setting fire to a home occupied by three young children and three adults.
The fires occurred at a home in the 500 block of Sunnyside Drive on May 24 and June 2. Turlock Police spokeswoman Deandra Wiley said the residents discovered the first fire and extinguished it. Everyone was asleep inside on the morning on June 2 when a neighbor saw the house burning.
The neighbor ran across the street and pounded on the front door to awaken the residents, Wiley said. All were able to escape without injury. Wiley would not disclose the ages of the three children but said they were all younger than school-aged.
The Turlock Fire Department responded to the scene and extinguished the fire, which caused moderate damage to the home. Firefighters informed police that the fire was started by an incendiary device thrown at the residence, according to Wiley.
Detective Gina Giovacchini was assigned the case. She determined that the same type of device was used during the May incident.
Wiley said Giovacchini would not disclose the type incendiary device or why the family didn’t report the first incident.
On Monday, Giovacchini identified the arson suspect as J.D. Dwaine Lucas, a 37-year-old Turlock resident. He was arrested at a shopping center at Linwood and Lander avenues the same day and booked into jail on suspicion of two counts of arson of an inhabited dwelling and six counts of willful harm or injury to a child.
Wiley said Giovacchini would not say how Lucas was identified as the suspect, if he knew the family who lived in the Sunnyside home or the motive for the fires.
Anyone with any information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Detective Gina Giovacchini by calling (209) 668-6539.
