A 38-year-old parolee suspected of igniting that together caused nearly $2 million in damage pleaded guilty on Tuesday, April 16, to arson to a structure.
George Alexander Hill, a transient who lived in the area, admitted to the felony charge under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
In exchange for his admission, prosecutors agreed to drop another arson count, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of using an incendiary device and targeting multiple structures.
Superior Court Judge Walter Kubelun scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 23 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Hill was being held in lieu of $90,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
Hill ignited a blaze that caused an estimated $100,000 damage to a Walmart in the 5200 block of Van Buren Boulevard on Oct. 23, 2022, according to the Riverside Fire Department.
The fire was knocked down a short time later and did not cause the store to close. No one was hurt.
Also, Ray Mendoza, an arson investigator for the Fire Department, said that on Dec. 18, 2022, Hill torched pallets outside a building, and the fire spread to the structure, where stuffed animals are manufactured.
Firefighters battled the blaze for an hour before gaining the upper hand. No one was injured in this fire, either.
Total damage to that business was estimated to be $1.5 million, according to the Fire Department.
A possible motive for the offenses was unclear.
According to court records, Hill has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of controlled substances.
