An arson suspect pleaded not guilty to that charge and to possession of explosive charges after he was arrested on suspicion of setting a vehicle on fire along a rural road in the desert community of Sky Valley, court records show.
Cal Fire Law Enforcement Officers, with help from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, arrested James Thompson, 55, on Aug. 30 on suspicion of setting the vehicle on fire in the 23000 block of Hot Springs Road — about 11 miles northeast of Palm Springs — earlier that same day, according to a Cal Fire news release.
Authorities say the motive behind the charred vehicle is unclear or whether the vehicle was Thompson’s.
The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office charged Thompson on Friday and he subsequently denied all charges, records indicate.