CALIFORNIA — On January 15, 2018, at approximately 7:44 am, deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Central Station responded to a fire call at Glen Helen Regional Park. While in route to the call, deputies learned that additional fires were being reported near the regional park at the Interstate 15/215 junction. In total, eleven fires were started by Whipple.
After each fire was started, Whipple ran through a series a storm drain tunnels underneath the freeways to elude capture from the deputies. With the assistance of Sheriff’s aviation, Whipple was located as he walked through the dense brush near Cajon Blvd and Kenwood Ave in close proximity of the last fire.
Deputies contacted Whipple, who was detained at the scene without incident. Several items of evidence were located which connected Whipple to the crime of arson. The areas Whipple set on fire burned dry vegetation and caused a multi-jurisdictional response from fire crews with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, Cal Fire, and the United States Forest Service. All the fires were contained and extinguished. However, fire crews spent several hours cooling down hot spots to prevent additional fire damage.
Whipple was booked into the Central Detention Center for aggravated arson and is being held on $250,000.00 bail. Whipple is scheduled for court on January 17th.
