VICTORVILLE, Calif. – A Victorville man was arrested for allegedly starting fires at the Hesperia Walmart in order to get off of work.
On Sunday, March 24, 2019, just after 9:00 p.m. deputies and San Bernardino County Firefighters responded to the Walmart store in the 13400 block of Main Street in Hesperia for the report of several small fires set at the location. Store surveillance footage was reviewed and showed Kevin Jermaine Smith, 24, setting multiple fires inside and outside of the store.
Authorities said that Smith was employed at the store and was scheduled to work later in the day. An area search was conducted in order to locate Smith, who was located in a parking lot in the 13100 block of Main Street near Mariposa Road and was arrested without incident. When asked why he started the fires, Smith told deputies that he started the fires in order to get the day off of work.
According to San Bernardino court records, Smith has been convicted of Petty Theft and Drunk in Public in 2014. In 2017 he had three driving violations, which were charged as misdemeanors. He was booked into the High Desert Detention Center for Arson and is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. He is scheduled to appear at the Victorville Superior Court on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.
Kevin J. Smith’s comment and Facebook post about a friend who allegedly started a fire at his rental home just days before his arson arrest.
