It Took TEAMwork!!
San Bernardino County Sheriff
San Bernardino County Fire Department
Cal Fire
United States Forest Service
San Bernardino County Sheriff Aviation
Monday, January 15, 2018, at 7:44 A.M., San
Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies of the Central Station, responded to a fire
call at Glen Helen Regional Park. While in-route, the Sheriff Deputies learned
that additional fires were being reported near the Regional Park at Interstate
15/215 Junction.
In total, eleven fires were started by
Ricky Russel Whipple, 29 years old, resident of Fontana, California.
After each fire was started, Whipple ran through
a series a storm drain tunnels underneath the freeways to elude capture from
the San Bernardino County Sheriff Deputies. With the assistance of San
Bernardino County Sheriff Aviation, Whipple was located as he walked through
the dense brush near Cajon Boulevard and Kenwood Avenue, in close proximity of
the last fire.
The Deputies contacted Whipple, who was detained
at the scene without incident. Several items of evidence were located that
connected Whipple to the Crime of Arson. The areas Whipple set on fire burned
dry vegetation and caused a multi-jurisdictional response from Fire Crews with
the San Bernardino County Fire Department, Cal Fire, and the United States
Forest Service.
All the fires were contained and extinguished.
However, Fire Crews spent several hours cooling-down hot spots to prevent
additional fire damage.
Whipple was booked into the Central Detention
Center for aggravated arson and is being held on $250,000.00 bail. Whipple
was scheduled for court on January 17th. An update will posted as soon as
possible.
Anyone with
information regarding this incident is urged to contact San Bernardino County
Sheriff Central Station at (909)387-3545.
Callers wishing to
remain anonymous are urged to call We-Tip Hotline at
1-800-78-CRIME(27463), or you may leave information on the website at www.wetip.com