Man tries to burn down church preschool with 48 kids inside, feds say. He’s indicted

A 36-year-old man accused of trying to burn down a California preschool with kids and employees inside has been indicted, federal officials said.

On April 24, Jonathan A. Barajas Nava of Albuquerque, New Mexico, tried to burn down the Retreat Church and Yucaipa Christian Preschool by pouring an “ignitable liquid” on the entrance and setting it ablaze, according to a May 22 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

The preschool had 48 kids and 14 employees inside when the fire started, prosecutors said. No one was injured.

On the same day, Nava tried burning down a Yucaipa strip mall by pouring an “ignitable liquid” on gas meters and then lighting them on fire, officials said.

McClatchy News reached out to Nava’s lawyer and the Yucaipa Christian Preschool on May 23 and was awaiting a response.

Nava is charged with two counts of attempted destruction of property by means of fire, officials said.

If convicted of those charges, he would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, officials said.

He is scheduled to reappear in court on May 28, prosecutors said.

Yucaipa is about a 70-mile drive east of Los Angeles.

This story was originally published May 23, 2024 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Man tries to burn down church preschool with 48 kids inside, feds say. He’s indicted."