MENDOCINO Co., 8/1/24 — On Thursday, a Marin County Superior Court jury convicted Devin Lamar Johnson of starting a fire behind Capella’s McFarland Trucking.
The blaze, called the Hopkins fire, destroyed nearly 50 homes and buildings, caused the evacuations of hundreds of people, and was responded to by many agencies, including fire departments from Potter Valley, Brooktrails, Redwood Valley, Cal Fire and others.
After the jury conviction, a separate trial was held regarding aggravating factors that will determine Johnson’s sentencing. That hearing is scheduled for September 16. The press release is below.
A Marin County Superior Court jury returned from its deliberations midmorning Thursday to announce it had found the trial defendant guilty of the Hopkins fire arson that happened during the afternoon of Sunday, September 12, 2021, in the Calpella area of Mendocino County.
Defendant Devin Lamar Johnson, age 23, of Calpella, was convicted of arson of an inhabited dwelling, a felony. The jury also found true a sentencing allegation that alleged the defendant was responsible for the burning of multiple homes.
The defendant was found not guilty of an alternate charge of aggravated arson, which required the difficult proof that the defendant had the intent to specifically burn one or more residences (versus grassland) prior to his lighting two close-in-time fires in dry grass and vegetation behind McFarland Trucking.
After the jury was excused, a separate court trial was conducted regarding a Strike allegation and other sentencing factors.
The prosecutor presented evidence proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had suffered a Strike conviction — attempted robbery in the second degree — approximately 90 days before he set the Hopkins fire.
The prosecutor also presented witness testimony during the court trial that successfully proved beyond a reasonable doubt six separate sentencing circumstances in aggravation.
The sentencing circumstances found true were:
(1) that the crime for which the defendant was convicted involved the threat of great bodily injury or other acts disclosing a high degree of callousness;
(2) that the victims of the Hopkins fire were particularly vulnerable;
(3) that the crime caused damage of great monetary value;
(4) that the defendant has engaged in violent conduct that indicates he is a serious danger to society;
(5) that the defendant’s adult convictions are of increasing seriousness; and
(6) that the defendant was on formal (supervised) probation (for the attempted robbery conviction) when he initiated the Hopkins fire.
The jury’s guilty verdict and true finding, along with the court’s findings, were referred to the Marin County Adult Probation Department for a background study of the defendant and a sentencing recommendation.
The defendant and counsel were ordered to return to Department J in the Marin County Courthouse on September 16, 2024 at 9:15 a.m. for pronouncement of sentence.
The defendant remains in custody in the Marin County jail.
When asked about potential punishment, the DA Eyster advised that defendant Johnson is now facing a commitment in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation of up to 21 years.
The law enforcement agencies that were involved in evacuating residents, providing traffic control, and/or the criminal fire/arson investigation included the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the Ukiah Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, and the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations.
The fire agencies involved in fire suppression efforts and/or the criminal fire/arson investigation of the cause and origin were the Redwood Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Cal Fire (ground and air), the Ukiah Valley Fire Authority, the Potter Valley Volunteer Fire Department, the Little Lake Fire Department, and the Brooktrails Fire Department.
The prosecutor who led the team effort to tell a cogent story and present the People’s evidence at this retrial was Mendocino County District Attorney David Eyster.
Many were harmed; many showed compassion and helped. Some, however, were called on to help more than others. DA Eyster expresses his special thanks to Dennis McFarland, Eric Harmon, and Peter Armstrong, civilians who all appeared willingly last week in San Rafael as witnesses and testified before the jury.
The combined agency professional team that assisted the DA with his trial preparation, evidence and witness management, and provided courtroom testimony were Ukiah Valley Fire Authority Battalion Chief Justin Buckingham, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Craig Dudley, Mendocino County Chief DA Investigator Andrew Alvarado, Assistant Chief DA Investigator Bryan Arrington, and DA Investigator Tom Kiely.
San Bernardino County Deput Sheriff’ Stephanie Garnica, formerly a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Detective, also provided important trial testimony.
Marin County Superior Court Judge Kelly V. Simmons presided over the two-week trial. Judge Simmons will be the sentencing judge when the case is once again called on Monday, September 16th.