COLLEEGE PROFESSOR ARRESTED AS SUSPECT IN SEVERAL CA WILDFIRES

by Bob Walsh

Gary Stephen Maynard, 47, is believed to have worked at several colleges in the formerly great state of California, including Santa Clara U and Sonoma State.  He is listed as a lecturer at Sonoma State in criminal justice studies specializing in cults and deviant behavior.  He is also under arrest, accused of being a fire bug.

Maynard was arrested Saturday following an investigation covering a couple of weeks.  Among other things the feds put a tracker on his personal vehicle.  

At his arraignment today the feds opposed any sort of conditional release citing public safety concerns.  The U. S Attorney said flat out that Maynard had started a series of fires in and around the Lassen National Forest and Shasta Trinity National Forest.  He is specifically charged with setting the Ranch Fire burning in Lassen County.  

Maynard happened to be spotted by a Forest Service employee with his Kia Soul stuck in a ditch and high-centered.  Maynard was not cooperative and refused to explain his presence in the area.  He became angry when the forest service employee would not help him unstick his rice grinder.  

He was arrested while in the evacuation zone of the Dixie Fire.  He had apparently entered the area behind fire crews and set fires behind them.

Maynard denied setting any fires.  He then stated, "I'm going to kill you, you fucking pig."  I am confident that endeared him to the jail staff in Lassen County.