CALFIRE Arson and Bomb investigators assisted with investigation

“We are relieved that no one was hurt in this man’s attempts to destroy property, putting lives in danger.  We are also thankful to the investigators who worked to identify and assist with the prosecution of the suspect.”

CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

LOS ANGELES – On January 17, 2025, Jonathan A. Barajas Nava, 37, of Albuquerque, New Mexico pleaded guilty to setting on fire a San Bernardino County church and preschool last year while children and school employees were inside.    Nava pleaded guilty to a single-count superseding information charging him with damage to religious property.

“This defendant’s violent actions against a religious property put lives – including those of children – in danger,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “I commend our federal and local partners for working together to arrest and prosecute this individual, whose criminal acts could have caused a much larger tragedy.”

According to his plea agreement, on April 24, 2024, Nava set fire to the Retreat Church and Yucaipa Christian Preschool in Yucaipa. Before setting the church on fire, Nava traveled to a nearby gasoline station and purchased a gasoline can and filled it with gasoline. He then traveled to the church with the can and poured the liquid on the church’s front door. Then, he used an open-flame device to set the area on fire.

The resulting fire damaged the church’s interior carpet, the doorframe seal, and an outdoor mat. Staff and children inside evacuated the building.

Nava then traveled to a nearby strip mall and set fire to the exterior wall, which resulted in no damage.

Nava admitted in his plea agreement that he set fire to the church because of its religious character.

Nava was arrested on April 24 and was charged in state court prior to a federal criminal case being brought against him.

United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a March 31 sentencing hearing, at which time Nava will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection; and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.