A driver crashed a vehicle into a post office in San Jose, Calif., early Sunday, igniting a fire that took more than 90 minutes to extinguish, the authorities said.
Firefighters were called at about 3 a.m. Pacific time on Sunday to the U.S. post office in the Almaden Valley area of San Jose and found the building engulfed in flames, the authorities said. The vehicle had plowed through the front of the building, but no one was injured.
The San Jose police said they had arrested Richard Tillman, 44, on suspicion of arson. He was being held at the Santa Clara County jail. Officials are still trying to determine a motive.
The crash is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and local law enforcement agencies, officials said.
“I’m grateful no one was seriously hurt by this senseless act of destruction,” Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose, said in a statement on Sunday. He also acknowledged that mental health issues could have been an underlying factor.
“Criminal acts require accountability,” Mr. Mahan added, “but we also need to commit ourselves to expanding behavioral health treatment and intervening earlier in California to reduce the likelihood that situations like this transpire.”
Marcus Lee, who works at a massage therapy business near the post office, was alarmed by the damage he saw, with the charred exterior and a gaping hole in the front. “It’s scary, seeing something that has been here for this long look like this,” Mr. Lee said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
