Latest news with #MarkleyFire
New York Post
15-05-2025
- New York Post
Dating app killer whose cover-up of grisly crime led to one of the worst fires in California history thrown behind bars for life
An online date that led to murder, arson, deceit, more deaths and one of the worst fires in California's history has finally ended with a guilty verdict and prison sentence. Victor Serriteno, 33, was convicted Friday in the 2020 killing of a single mom he had met through a dating app — as well as the murders of two additional victims who burned to death in a fire he set to cover his tracks, according to KSW Action News. Serriteno, of Vacaville, was found guilty of multiple counts of murder and arson in Solano County Superior Court and sentenced to 73 years-to-life in state prison, according to the district attorney's office. Advertisement 5 Victor Serriteno was sentenced to 73 years-to-life in state prison, according to the district attorney's office. Vacaville Police Department He had pleaded no contest. The convicted killer met his victim, Priscilla Castro, a 32-year-old mother from Vallejo, on the evening of Aug. 16, 2020, after arranging a meeting through a dating app. Advertisement It was the last time the mom of a 9-year-old girl was seen alive. Castro's family became concerned when she never came back from the date. No one could reach her on her phone and her social media accounts had gone dormant. Investigators used her cellphone records to track down her car, a 2007 Mercedes-Benz C230, that they found abandoned in a rural area. Advertisement 5 Serriteno was convicted of killing Priscilla Castro after they met through a dating app. Vacaville Police Department That same day, a fire was spreading out of control nearby. It would become known as the Markley fire, and it killed Douglas Mai, 82, and Leon 'James' Bone, 64, when their homes became engulfed in flames. The Markley Fire eventually fed into the LNU Lightning Complex Fire – one of the most destructive conflagrations in California's history, destroying 330,000 acres in the Bay Area. Advertisement 5 The deadly Markley Fire started in August 2020. AFP via Getty Images Two weeks later, after the fire was extinguished, officials were able to identify Castro's charred remains from a keepsake found next to them. 'Although the remains were so badly burned and unrecognizable, there was an angel pendant located in the debris that belonged to Priscilla Castro,' authorities said at the time. Police ruled Castro's death a homicide and started an investigation. Detectives homed in on Serriteno, the last person to contact her before she died. He was arrested for the single mother's death on Sept. 11, 2020, and then later rearrested for the arson and deaths of Mai and Bone after officials established that the fire started after Serriteno attempted to dispose of Castro's body by setting her remains on fire, according to reports. 5 Firefighters spent over a month trying to contain the blaze, according to Cal Fire. AFP via Getty Images 5 The Markley Fire destroyed 330,000 acres in the Bay Area. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Although investigators weren't able to discern how Serriteno murdered Castro due to the state of her remains, prosecutors said he did it in his home. 'This was one of the most catastrophic fires in the history of Solano County. Lives of those impacted have been forever changed,' Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams said in a statement. Castro's family members swore they would get justice for the single mother. 'I knew there were ugly people in the world, but I never knew they would do something to someone so close to us,' her sister, Jasmine Castro, told local CBS affiliate KOVR TV. 'He doesn't deserve to get away with not one bit of this.' Advertisement With Serriteno's no contest plea, the prosecutors said that is exactly what the family is getting. 'Although we cannot undo these vicious, brutal, and senseless acts by Defendant Serriteno, hopefully this plea today will provide certainty that the defendant stands convicted, that he is held accountable, and that there is some sense of justice and closure for all of those affected,' Krishna Abrams said in a statement. 'Most importantly, he will not be able to harm our community again.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Murder, Fire, and a Dating App: How One Man's Crime Led to a Deadly California Wildfire
Victor Serriteno, 33, was convicted of murdering a woman he met on a dating app, and setting a fire to dispose of her body, which sparked the 2020 Markley Fire in California The fire ultimately merged into the LNU Lightning Complex Fire, destroying thousands of acres and killing two additional people He pleaded no contest and faces a sentence of 73 years to life in prison A Bay Area man was convicted of killing a woman he met on a dating app and then starting a fire to dispose of her body — which started a wildfire in California that burned a quarter million acres in 2020. The Markley Fire was started by Victor Serriteno, 33, and ended up killing two men. Serriteno pleaded no contest and was found guilty of three counts of murder and several counts of arson, prosecutors said. CBS reported that he will be sentenced to a total term of 73 years to life in a state prison. On Aug. 16, 2020, 32-year-old Priscilla Castro was last seen driving to a date with Serriteno, whom she met on a dating app. Her family grew worried after they hadn't heard from her in a couple days and reported her missing, the outlet reported. Two days later, her car was found in Vacaville. Related: Man Accused of Murdering Woman He Met Online, then Covering Crime by Setting Wildfire that Killed 2 The same day Castro's car was found, authorities were called to a fire which was spreading quickly off Highway 128. The fire, which became known as the Markley Fire, destroyed thousands of acres, hundreds of structures and numerous homes and livestock, CBS reported. Solano County residents Douglas Mai, 82, and Leon 'James' Bone, 64, both died in their homes from the fire. The Markley Fire merged with other fires in 2020 and became the LNU LIghting Complex fire, one of the largest fires in California's history. On Sept. 2, 2020, human remains were found near where the fire was started. Next to the remains, were an angel pendant that prosecutors say belonged to Castro. The remains were identified by authorities as Castro's. Serriteno was arrested and charged with Castro's murder nine days later, the outlet reported. The arson charges and two other murder charges were added in 2021. 'It is with a heavy heart we bear this horrific news of this senseless death,' Vacaville police said in a statement to SFGATE at the time. Castro left behind a 9-year-old daughter. 'Priscilla was and is a beautiful, strong, loving woman who didn't deserve for this tragedy,' Castro's sister said in a statement to the outlet. Investigators said they have not determined Castro's cause of death but that she died the night she met Serriteno. 'Priscilla Castro never left Vacaville alive, but instead was killed in Defendant Serriteno's home,' the district attorney's office said in a statement to the outlet. 'After killing Priscilla Castro, Defendant Serriteno drove her up to the Putah Creek Wildlife Area off of Highway 128 where he dumped her body.'Krishna Abrams, Solano County District Attorney said in a statement to the outlet that he hopes the pleas will hold Serriteno accountable for his actions and provide a sense of justice and closure for all those affected. Serriteno is currently in custody and will return to court on Aug. 14 to be sentenced, the outlets reported. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
