A California man has been convicted of three counts of murder and arson for the killing of a mother he met on a dating app.
In his attempt to dispose of her body, he sparked a wildfire that led to the deaths of two additional people.
Victor Serriteno, aged 33, entered a no contest plea on Friday, agreeing to a predetermined prison term of 73 years to life, as reported by the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.
As previously covered by CrimeOnline, Serriteno was responsible for the death of 32-year-old Priscilla Castro on or about August 16, 2020. He subsequently ignited a fire that resulted in the deaths of 82-year-old Douglas Mai and 64-year-old Leon Bone.
On August 18, 2020, according to the Vacaville Police Department, Serriteno attempted to incinerate Castro’s body. On that same day, Cal Fire was called to a blaze at the Putah Creek Wildlife Area trailhead, located near Highway 128 in Solano County.
The fire ravaged hundreds of structures, including many homes, and scorched thousands of acres in northern Solano County.
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“After killing Priscilla Castro, defendant Serriteno drove her up to the Putah Creek Wildlife Area off Highway 128 where he dumped her body,” District Attorney Krishna Abrams said in a news release, according to Law&Crime. “Additional circumstantial evidence placed Serriteno in the area of Priscilla’s body at the time the Markley Fire was started.”
Abrams added that Serriteno caused “one of the most catastrophic fires in the history of Solano County.”
In addition to the 73-years-to-life sentence, a judge handed down 15 years to life for second-degree murder, 25 years to life for charges tied to Bone and Mai’s deaths, and eight years for arson.
