Contra Costa County Man Arrested After Allegedly Torching House with Road Flares

A Contra Costa County man accused of arson was arrested on suspicion of causing $700,000 worth of damage to a Rio Vista home, Cal Fire said. On March 21 just after 1 a.m., security camera footage captured a man using a hammer to break a sliding-glass door and enter a home on Sherman Island East Levee Road in Rio Vista. Once inside, he ignited road flares and used them to light fires in three separate areas of the residence. He then exited at about 1:36 a.m., Cal Fire said. The Office of the State Fire Marshal’s arson and bomb unit in conjunction with Cal Fire were called in to investigate the case. Detectives eventually identified Kenneth Allen Hubbs as the suspect and a no-bail arrest warrant was issued for him on May 5, Cal Fire said. On Wednesday, Hubbs was picked up in San Joaquin County by deputies after his license plate showed up on an automated license plate reader. He was arrested without incident and booked into jail on suspicion of arson of an inhabited structure, possession of an incendiary device, and burglary. The motive in the case has not been released.