The San Benito County District Attorney’s Office reports Jason Wayne Spears, 35, pled guilty to several counts of arson stemming from his arrests by Hollister Police in 2013. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution.
In December of 2012 a series of arsons were investigated by the Hollister Police Department and the Hollister Fire Department. The fire at 930 Sunnyslope Road near Memorial Drive destroyed several medical offices. Over the next two months, several small residential, commercial and vehicle fires were investigated in Hollister.Â
On Feb. 9, 2013, Jason Spears was arrested after he was seen trying to set a fire to a Gibson Station condominium. Further investigation revealed additional fires and attempted arsons connected to Spears.Â
On Dec. 29, Spears pled guilty to the arson at 930 Sunnyslope Road medical offices and also fires that were set on Somme Ave, a vehicle fire on Juniper Drive, a vehicle fire at Gibson Drive, a medical facility at 930 Sunset Drive, a residential fire on Del Monte Drive, a commercial fire on South Street, a commercial fire located on the 700 block of San Benito Street, a commercial fire on Prospect Avenue and six separate locations within Gibson Station.Â
The Hollister Police Department, in a press release, thanked the citizens who called the police that led to Spears’ arrest, the officers and detectives that made the arrests and the fire personnel who conducted the extensive investigation.
“We would also like to thank the San Benito District Attorney’s Office for all their hard work in reaching this conclusion,” police said in the release.