VIDEO: An arson suspect has been arrested, accused of starting a wildfire that left homes devastated and over 2,000 acres burned on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation earlier this month. Officials say 22-year-old Keanu Dude was charged with arson in connection to the Watch Fire, which forced hundreds to evacuate on tribal land.
The San Carlos Apache Police Department (SCAPD) and the Tribe’s Game & Fish Rangers took Dude into custody on Tuesday, 13 days after the fire broke out.
He is being held in the San Carlos Adult Detention & Rehabilitation Center, and officials say he has a history of assault, domestic violence, and other charges.
“It saddens me deeply that a member of our tribe has been charged with starting this fire that devastated our community,” said San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler.