On Friday April 15, 2016 at approximately 7:00 pm, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was advised of a structure fire in the 2000 block of North Bowers Road in Whetstone. Whetstone Fire Department advised that the doors to the home were open and they could not find any occupants.
The fire department advised that this appeared to be Arson as an expended flare was located inside the home. Upon Deputies arrival they located several single wide trailers, one double wide trailer, one garage, numerous vehicles, several buses, and various other structures on the property. Several of the buses, a garage, and other structures were fully engulfed in flames.
The fire department was able to extinguish the flames and investigators discovered liquid accelerant was inside of the structures as well as spent flares which presumably ignited the fire. Family members arrived at the scene and advised that they were caring for property and several vehicles appeared to be missing.
On Saturday April 16, 2016 the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip about the people who started the fire with an address of where the suspects were located in Sierra Vista.
Deputies arrived at the address provided and located a vehicle that was reported stolen from the Whetstone property. Three people were at the residence, arrested, and booked into the Cochise County Jail on charges listed below. A fourth subject, Dakota Compton 21 years old, later turned himself in to the Sheriff’s Office and was booked into the Jail. All suspects are each being held on a $50,000 bond.
A search warrant was served on the residence and some stolen property from the Whetstone address was recovered. The suspects advised that they had stolen the vehicles and sold them in Mexico for money to purchase drugs.
The investigation is being continued by the Sheriff’s Office for the following suspects:
Devin Knable 18 yoa – Fairbank
Traffic stolen property
Theft x2
Arson
Criminal Damage
Burglary
Ernesto Huerta 20 yoa – Sierra Vista
Traffic stolen property
MV Theft x 3
Theft x2
Arson
Criminal Damage
Burglary x2
Elias Ortiz 21 yoa – Tucson
Traffic stolen property
MV Theft x3
Theft x2
Arson
Criminal Damage
Burglary x2
Dakota Compton 21 yoa – Tucson
Traffic stolen property
MV Theft
Theft x2
Arson
Criminal Damage
Burglary