California Postal Office Car Crash Under Investigated as Deliberate Incident

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced Monday that it is probing a weekend car crash at a San Jose, California, post office as a potential deliberate act.

Authorities arrested Richard Tillman, 44, from San Jose after his vehicle crashed into the office in a strip mall around 3 a.m. on Sunday, setting the building ablaze, according to San Jose police. Nobody was injured.

Approximately 50 firefighters spent about 90 minutes extinguishing the fire at the Almaden Valley Station Post Office, located south of downtown. Photos shared online by the fire department depicted a burned vehicle inside the significantly damaged single-story structure.

Tillman was booked on suspicion of arson. He was held in lieu of $60,000 bail and was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday, according to online custody records. A phone number could not be located for Tillman. Messages were sent to the Santa Clara County District Attorney asking if Tillman has an attorney.

Postal inspectors are investigating the incident as a “potentially intentional act,” said U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Martel. There was no information about a possible motive.

Nearly 2 million people live in the metropolitan area of San Jose, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of downtown San Francisco.