Police arrested a man suspected of setting fire to a Redlands home while a married couple and their two children were inside, sending them fleeing for their lives, authorities said Wednesday.
Daniel Ray Fell, 38, is suspected of arson and attempted murder in connection with the March 22 blaze, which the family was able to escape physically unharmed, according to police. Firefighters and police responded to the fire at the home in the 1200 block of Devon Place around 2 a.m.
Firefighters managed to put out the blaze, but a possible motive remains unknown. Authorities have not released any details on why Fell allegedly targeted the family home.
Investigators linked Fell to the crime after reviewing surveillance footage from homes in the neighborhood, which captured a person and vehicle in the area immediately before the blaze, police said. They later identified the vehicle using automated license plate reader cameras.
On Tuesday, the Redlands Police Department Special Enforcement Team set up surveillance in the Riverside area that led them to a Riverside motel, according to police. Officers served a search warrant at the location in the 1900 block of University Avenue and found and detained Fell there.
Investigators discovered evidence there and at another motel located in the 6800 block of Valley Way in Jurupa Valley, police said. Authorities have not released details about the evidence found.
Inmate records show Fell is being held on $1 million bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. He is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
Anyone with information is urged by police to reach the department’s dispatch at 909-798-7681 ext. 1. Tips can also be submitted using the City of Redlands 311 mobile app.