“Outstanding work by all involved in the investigation and arrest of this arson suspect. In less than two month’s-time an unidentified suspect, breaking into and setting fire to a house in the middle of a night, was identified and arrested! Great job!”

CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

RIO VISTA – On May 15, 2025, CAL Fire announced that a joint investigation led by the Office of the State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) Arson and Bomb Unit resulted in the arrest of Kenneth Allen Hubbs in connection with a March 21, 2025 residential arson that caused an estimated $700,000 in damage.

On March 21, 2025, at approximately 1:34 a.m., security-camera footage captured an unidentified male using a hammer to break a rear sliding-glass door and enter a home on Sherman Island East Levee Road in Rio Vista. Once inside, the suspect ignited road flares and set fires in at least three separate locations before fleeing through the same door at roughly 1:36 a.m.

The CAL FIRE – OSFM Arson and Bomb Unit was requested to assume the lead in the investigation. Through extensive investigative efforts, detectives identified Kenneth Allen Hubbs as the primary suspect, and a Sacramento County no-bail arrest warrant was issued on May 5, 2025.

On May 14, 2025, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office deputies located Hubbs after receiving an Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) alert broadcast by the Arson and Bomb Unit. Hubbs was taken into custody without incident and booked on the following charges:

• Penal Code § 451(b) – Arson of an inhabited structure
• Penal Code § 453(a) – Possession of an incendiary device
• Penal Code § 459 – Burglary

This successful arrest reflects a coordinated effort among the CAL FIRE – OSFM Arson and Bomb Unit, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Detectives, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and Patrol Deputies, San Joaquin County Probation, and the River Delta Fire District.