Jonathan Barajas Nava of New Mexico pleaded guilty today to setting fire to a Yucaipa preschool in April 2024.
His Jan. 17 federal plea agreement claims responsibility for the April 24 fire at the Retreat Church and Yucaipa Christian Preschool in Yucaipa.
He started the fire by pouring gas from a gasoline can on the front door of the church. The fire damaged only the church’s interior carpet, the doorframe and the outdoor mat, the plea agreement says. Staff and 48 children present at the church’s daycare were not injured.
Two 911 callers reported the fire after Nava started it. One of the callers, who lived across the street from the church, moved the gas can and inflamed floor mat away from the door before first responders arrived.
Nava then set fire to the wall of an optometrist’s office a mile away, which did not result in damage.
He was found four hours later, after backing his truck onto a chain-linked fence behind the Panera Bread on 31605 Yucaipa Blvd. He was unable to drive the truck away from the fence, but continued revving his engine even after deputies arrived at the scene and asked him to step out of the truck.
As a deputy approached the truck, the inside burst into flames, according to the affidavit. Nava’s leg caught on fire, and his truck was fully aflame. Law enforcement recognized the truck, a small gray Toyota, as the same found on surveillance footage from the church.
The plea agreement says Nava set the fire due to the church’s religion.
“This defendant’s violent actions against a religious property put lives – including those of children – in danger,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “I commend our federal and local partners for working together to arrest and prosecute this individual, whose criminal acts could have caused a much larger tragedy.”
He was on probation in New Mexico after setting fire to an Albuquerque church in July 2022. His driver’s license was found near the fire, and he was found attempting to light a gas pump on fire. He crashed his vehicle in a pursuit, and attempted to grab a police officer’s rifle before being arrested, according to the affidavit.
The one-count plea agreement accepts a single charge of damage to religious property.
His sentence could be as much as 20 years in federal prison.
Case information
Case No. 5:24-cr-00134.
Assistant United States Attorney Austin Young prosecuted.
Deputy Federal Public Defender Ijeoma Eke defended.
California Central District Judge John Walter presides.
Read the affidavit here.
Read the agreement here.
Photo is from the Retreat Church Facebook page.
