Arson arrest in Hollister
Hollister police arrested a man Wednesday who they say was caught on tape starting a dumpster fire.
It happened around 7:53 p.m. November 16 in an alley near the Veterans Memorial Building on San Benito Street. Fire crews put out the fire before it spread beyond the recycling dumpster.
Police say downtown surveillance cameras showed a man lighting something on fire and putting it into the dumpster where paper and card board caught fire.
An officer identified the suspect as Anthony Ray Gonzales, 33, from prior contacts. Gonzales was located nearby and arrested on suspicion of arson and booked into the San Benito County Jail.
Police say they had earlier contact with Gonzales on September 11, 2016 when he was cited and released for slashing American flags in downtown Hollister.
