By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
As firefighters from six departments battled the blaze in the Stony Creek bed a short distance north of Orland Saturday evening and beyond, an Orland transient was arrested for allegedly intentionally setting the fire.
At about 6 p.m. on Oct. 9, deputies responded to the Stony Creek area east of Highway 99, in Orland, and contacted Douglas Abbott. Deputies initiated an investigation and discovered Abbott and his girlfriend, Heather Matney, had a camp in the creek bed.
Abbott and Matney reportedly got into an argument. Abbott left the camp and noticed a fire had begun shortly after he left.
Another witness in the area alleged they saw Matney start the fire and then flee the area on foot. Deputies searched the area extensively and eventually found Matney at the Shady Oaks Trailer Park, space #19.
She was ultimately placed under arrest and booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging giving false identification to a peace officer (a misdemeanor), and arson of an inhabited structure or property (a felony). Her bail was set at $200,000.
People named as witnesses by the Glenn County Sheriff’s Office include Kenneth Allen Oltjenbruns, 4582 Highway 99, sp. #19, Orland, and Allen Wade Smock, an Orland transient. Others named by the sheriff’s office as “involved parties” include Brittany Lee Douglas, 1004 Trinity Street, Orland; Rudolf Peter Griepsma, 239 Colusa Street, Orland; Gregg Alan Farlinger, 35 Walker Street, Orland; and Phillip Monroe Pedro III, 807 Date Street, Orland.
This last “involved party,” Phillip Pedro, was also arrested, but not for anything connected to the fire. According to the sheriff’s office, Deputy Ramirez contacted Phillip Pedro at Stony Creek, north of the continuation school Orland, while the deputy was there regarding the fire.
Deputy Ramirez recognized Pedro and was told by Glenn County Communications he had an outstanding Glenn County felony warrant. A deputy ultimately placed Pedro under arrest and transported him to the Glenn County Jail.
He was booked into the Glenn County Jail on a warrant alleging disobeying a lawful order of the court (a felony). At 11:34 p.m., while still in the jail, he was also found to have a Butte County warrant alleging theft of personal identification information (a felony).
His bail for the first warrant was set at $25,000. The Butte County warrant was a no-bail warrant.
The sheriff’s log indicated that Pedro’s arrest occurred at 9:16 p.m. However, the jail’s news release states that he was booked into the jail at 7:07 p.m.
The Glenn County Observer 