Oakland Man Allegedly Started Santa Rosa Fire, Then Took Off Clothes and Tried to Escape

By Bay City News Service

An Oakland man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of starting a brush fire off of Calistoga Road in Santa Rosa, a Sonoma County sheriff's lieutenant said.

Cal Fire crews were extinguishing the brush fire in the Plum Ranch area around 3 p.m. Wednesday when they found a potential arson suspect sitting nearby, Lt. Tim Duke said. 

The firefighters asked for sheriff's helicopter Henry-1 to respond to the scene after the suspect refused to communicate, took off some of his clothes and left the area, Duke said.

Fire crews followed the suspect and radioed his description and direction of travel to the helicopter crew, Duke said. 

The crew found the man, and pilot Paul Bradley got out of the helicopter as it hovered low near the suspect, who was despondent but cooperative, Duke said. 

The suspect was placed onto a stretcher and his feet and arms were restrained, Duke said. He was then airlifted to waiting sheriff's deputies at another location. 

The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Jordan Waugh. He was taken to Sonoma County Jail, where he was booked for arson with the potential to cause bodily harm, Duke said. He was being held on $125,000 bail.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon in Sonoma County Superior Court.

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