Friday, Jan. 06, 2012

Victim identified in pre-Christmas blaze

Police are asked to step up patrols of abandoned sites

A homeless man who died two days before Christmas in a fire at a former commercial business has been identified by the Merced County Coroner's Office.

James Ariail Jr., 65, burned to death, according to spokesman Tom Mackenzie.

Ariail was found dead after firefighters put out a two-alarm blaze at the vacant building Dec. 23.

Firefighters responded to the intersection of F Street and Santa Rita Avenue at 9:44 p.m. and discovered a structure engulfed in flames that used to be the location of an autobody shop and later a plant nursery.

"We've been there numerous times," Fire Chief Chet Guintini said last week. "We try to keep the homeless people out."

Guintini said firefighters were at the location about 20 minutes before the fatal fire. He said a homeless woman had started a small fire and the flames ignited some nearby clothing.

"Our guys went in and made sure that fire was out and everything was safe," Guintini said.

He said the woman could not have started the second blaze because police had placed her under arrest before fire personnel left the scene.

Cmdr. Ray Reyna Jr. of the Los Banos Police Department said the woman, Sarah Candelaria, 30, was arrested for outstanding warrants.

Guintini said the origin of the second fire remains under investigation.

A handful of homeless people have been involved in structure fires in vacant buildings in the city this year.

Guintini said code enforcement tries to encourage the homeless to use warming shelters during the winter and not to start fires larger than what may be needed for cooking.

He also said the Fire Department has asked police to watch for homeless people trying to enter abandoned buildings.

Enterprise reporter Corey Pride can be reached by phone at (209) 388-6563 or by email at cpride@

losbanosenterprise.com