UPDATE: Harris was arraigned on two arson charges on Wednesday, April 13th, and pleaded not guilty to both. His bail was set at $220,000. Harris’ pre preliminary hearing is set for Tuesday, April 18th.
FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno Fire officials say former Edison High/Oregon football star Cliff Harris is being charged with two new counts of arson – for allegedly setting fire to a vacant structure (1700 block of B. Street) that people were staying inside last Friday, and allegedly setting fire to Kearney’s Market (140 block of E. Kearney Blvd.) last December.
Harris was arrested on Sunday for a probation violation. He was already in custody when Fresno Fire investigators interviewed him. After that, they added the arson charges.
Regarding the most recent fire, Fresno Fire investigators say they believe Harris got into a dispute with someone else who was staying inside. “It was a vacant structure where it was obvious that transients had been occupying it at various times,” said Fresno Fire Deputy Fire Chief and Investigations Unit Supervisor Don MacAlpine. “Our information is that there was a person of interest who with Mr. Harris had also routinely occupied that structure. And we believe there was a bit of a dispute going on between the two of them.”
Harris previously served a sentence for another arson. MacAlpine says that with these new charges he could be charged with aggravated arson, which comes with a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
(Photo: Cliff Harris, Fresno Fire)
