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Christmas Valley fire ruled an arson

Staff report

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Authorities believe a 14-year-old boy is to blame for a fire set to a Christmas Valley home.

Early Tuesday morning El Dorado County Sheriff deputies arrived at a home on Memory Lane and found a window broken and heavy smoke inside.

A neighbor at the scene said the residence was supposed to be an unoccupied vacation home.



Lake Valley Fire Protection District firefighters arrived and extinguished multiple fires throughout the residence. An investigation revealed that the fires had been purposefully set throughout the home in an apparent effort to cause extensive damage, according to a release from Lt. Les Lovell.

Deputies found one shoe print at the scene, which indicated a single arsonist was mostly likely the responsible party, according to Lovell.



Sheriff’s deputies and Lake Valley Fire personnel continued to develop leads that pointed specifically to a 14-year-old boy who lives in the area.

The boy was interviewed Thursday. Deputies inspected his shoes and found they matched the print at the arson scene.

The boy admitted to being at the home and was booked into the Juvenile Treatment Center at South Lake Tahoe on felony arson charges.

The case will be turned over to the El Dorado County Probation Department for review and recommendations, Lovell said.


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