Sex charges for 2 arrested in Alameda arsons

Andrew Gutierrez Andrew Gutierrez Photo: Alameda County Sheriff Photo: Alameda County Sheriff Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Sex charges for 2 arrested in Alameda arsons 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

When a string of arson fires broke out early one morning in September in Alameda, police quickly arrested two suspects: a guitarist who fronted a folk band and a transient who frequented the island city.

A month later, however, Alameda County prosecutors dismissed arson charges against musician Stephen Petersen, 27, and said that all the fires had, in fact, been set by the second man arrested in the case, 22-year-old Andrew Gutierrez.

Now, in a unusual twist, both men have been charged with unrelated crimes. Petersen is accused of possessing child pornography on his computer — which police searched in connection with the arsons — and Gutierrez is accused of raping a woman nine days before the string of blazes.

Petersen surrendered last week on a warrant charging him with possessing child pornography, a felony, said Alameda police Lt. Jill Ottaviano. He has since made bail and is due back in court Wednesday.

Gutierrez was charged with raping a stranger who was intoxicated while in a car on Park Street, police said. Gutierrez’s fingerprints were found in the car, police said.

He was already in custody in the arsons when prosecutors added charges of rape and burglary. He remains jailed in lieu of more than $4.5 million bail and is to appear in court Feb. 17.

Petersen had initially been accused of setting three of seven fires that broke out in the early hours of Sept. 28, engulfing businesses and homes near downtown. But Gutierrez has been charged in all the fires.

Gutierrez was allegedly caught on video igniting a fire that destroyed a restaurant and cleaners. Petersen’s friends and relatives said he and Gutierrez didn’t know each other.

Henry K. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: hlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @henryklee