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A 50-year-old Berkeley man who was recently convicted of arson was arrested for allegedly setting fire to an outdoor umbrella at a Menlo Park coffee shop early on June 19, according to police.
Kenneth Stine pleaded not guilty June 22 to one count of felony arson in San Mateo County Superior Court and remains in custody on $2,500 bail after Court Commissioner Cristina Mazzei found he posed a threat to public safety.
Officers responded around 1:50 a.m. to Saint Frank Coffee at 1010 Alma St. when a private security guard reported that a patio umbrella was on fire and that someone had been seen running from the area. Police reviewed surveillance footage of the suspect, later identified as Stine.
About 38 minutes later, at approximately 2:28 a.m., he returned to the scene and was taken into custody. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Stine was chanting “Burn, burn, let it burn.” Police said Stine had a lighter but denied setting the fire when he was arrested.
The fire caused an estimated $1,500 in damage to the umbrella. No injuries or additional property damage was reported.
The District Attorney’s Office said that Stine had recently been convicted of arson in Contra Costa County. Court records reviewed by this news organization show he has been convicted of several felonies and misdemeanors including several cases of vandalism and battery. He has also been found to have violated probation at least four times.
He is scheduled to return to court July 2 for a preliminary hearing.
Why was a presumably mentally impaired man who’d already been convicted of arson, released so he could set fire elsewhere? Is he also homeless? He obviously needs help.