San Jose arson suspect arrested in Molotov cocktail incidents

SAN JOSE — Police say they have arrested a man on allegations of throwing Molotov cocktails at homes in the vicinity of downtown San Jose, bringing some peace to residents rattled by the mysterious attacks spanning the past two weeks.

Brian Gillean, 34, of San Jose, was located and taken into custody Wednesday night, and later booked into the Elmwood men’s jail in Milpitas on suspicion of multiple counts of arson, according to San Jose police. Gillean is being held without bail, according to jail records.

Investigators from SJPD and the San Jose Fire Department’s bureau of fire prevention were able to identify and arrest Gillean on the strength of residents’ home-security footage and witness tips, including one person who reportedly followed the suspect after he was seen throwing the makeshift incendiary devices in the Rose Garden neighborhood.

“I’m very thankful for the vigilance of our community members and the tenacity and thoughtfulness of our officers and investigators,” police Chief Eddie Garcia said. “Hopefully the neighborhoods impacted can sleep easier tonight knowing this dangerous individual has been apprehended.”

In a statement, San Jose fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. lauded the joint investigation: “The solid investigative skills on both teams have led to the quick capture of a suspect who was endangering our community.”

The first string of suspected arsons were reported Feb. 23 in the areas near William Street Park, East San Fernando Street, and north Willow Glen. Police say that in each of the reports, someone threw a glass bottle filled with some kind of fuel, using a wick as an ignition source.

In at least one of those incidents, residents captured some of the resulting fire with home-security cameras and described a man on a bicycle as the possible hurler. One resident could be seen hosing down a fire before it could cause any serious damage.

On a Facebook page bearing Gillean’s name and photo, he appears to have posted about visiting, two days later, the locations of at least one of the Feb. 23 incidents.

Investigators and witnesses say the case broke open around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday when a man in an SUV drove along Emory Street in the Rose Garden area and was seen throwing several firebombs in the direction of homes. He was partially recorded by home-security cameras, and one witness followed the vehicle in their own car to provide descriptions for police.

Using the footage and witness accounts, the police Street Crimes Unit tracked Gillean to Fifth and William streets, and arrested him around 9:30 p.m. Besides the arrest warrant for the arson incidents, he was also wanted on an active warrant for a probation violation, police said.

“A suspect of this caliber is not predictable,” SJPD assaults unit Lt. Todd Trayer said. “Fortunately we were able to take him into custody without the community being harmed by his arson activity.”

Trayer said there was no evidence so far indicating that Gillean was targeting anyone in particular, and said the suspect chose the areas because he either lived there or frequented them in the past.

Jeff Levine, a Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association board member who captured the first incident from his home-security camera, said Thursday that word of the arrest was a “huge relief.”

Related Articles San Jose fire officials investigating possible arson on residential street

Over the past few weeks, the first Molotov cocktail prompted widespread concern in the neighborhood that Levine said he hadn’t seen since a serial arsonist tore through San Jose in 2014.

“It’s a different story if someone’s just lighting paper and it floats away and falls in your yard. He had to have planned this out — it’s not something you casually do, and that’s why it’s frightening,” Levine said.

Anyone with information about the case can contact the San Jose Fire Department tip line at 408-272-7766. Anonymous tips can be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at svcrimestoppers.org.

Staff writer Fiona Kelliher contributed to this report.

Share this: Print

View more on The Mercury News