RivCo Man Charged With Killing Woman, Setting Fires To Cover Evidence

TEMECULA, CA — A man accused of setting multiple fires to cover up the murder of a woman at an Aguanga RV park was formally charged with first-degree murder on Thursday.

Preston Garret Young, 48, of Aguanga was arrested on Tuesday following the discovery of a body that had burned in a trailer fire in the census-designated community, which is about 18 miles from Temecula.

Authorities found a woman's remains after scouring the charred trailer and containing multiple blazes nearby, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Along with murder, Young has been charged with three counts of arson, one count of possession of a zip gun and additional arson-related charges — all felonies, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

READ MORE: Arrest In Homicide, Arson East Of Temecula: Sheriffs Department

He is being held on $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center and was scheduled to appear in court for arraignment at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Murrieta, John Hall, a spokesperson for the DA's office, told Patch.

Just before 5 p.m. on Monday, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department crews were called to the Jojoba Hills RV Resort on Highway 79, where a travel trailer and ravine were engulfed in flames, the sheriff's department said.

Deputies worked to evacuate everyone around the trailer while firefighters quelled the blaze at the trailer and multiple spot fires around it. During clean-up, human remains were found inside the trailer, according to the sheriff's department.

The department's homicide unit was immediately assigned to the case.

The victim, only referred to as Carol W. in court papers, has not been publicly identified.

Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to contact Investigator T. Gilbert with the Central Homicide Unit at 951-955-1777 or Investigator R. Martinez with the Hemet Sheriff's Station at 951-791-3400.