A 58 year old Fremont man was recently arrested on charges of domestic violence and arson connected to the June 30th brush fire in the area of Mowry Ave and Mission Blvd.
On June 30, 2019, at 9:52 a.m., a Fremont patrol officer was flagged down by a pedestrian regarding a possible brush fire near the area of Mission Blvd. and Mowry Ave. The officer located a small brush fire emerging from an open field near Overacker Ave, just south of Mowry Ave. Fremont Fire was notified and responded. Fremont Fire responded and found an encampment burned up. The fire threatened several homes in the area and necessitated a small localized evacuation.
Based on information obtained and evidence at the scene, the investigation was classified as a domestic violence/arson. Jeffrey Wells, a 58 year old Fremont transient, was identified as the suspect. Officers learned Wells battered his girlfriend, threatened to kill her, then told her he was going to set fire to their encampment and destroy their property.
The investigation was jointly conducted by Fremont General Crimes Detectives and Fremont Fire Investigators. Following the fire, officers responded to multiple locations Wells was known to frequent. Despite several searches and also using UAVs, he was not located for several days.
Detective MacDonald authored an arrest warrant that was signed by an Alameda County Superior Court Judge. On July 9, Wells was located by Fremont patrol officers and booked into the Fremont Jail on charges of:
PC 451(C) – Arson
PC 273.5 – Inflicting Corporal Injury
PC 422 – Criminal Threats
PC 1203.2 – Probation Violation
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact police investigators at 510-790-6900 or email [email protected]. We will also accept anonymous tips. Text, Tip FremontPD followed by your short message to 888-777 or via the web at https://local.nixle.com/tip/alert/6216337.
