Arson of Inhabited Dwelling Under Investigation

On Sunday, August 31, 2025, at 2:34 am, Turlock Police responded to a vandalism that had just occurred at a residence in the 600 block of W Main St.

The caller reported that his front window had just been broken, which woke up his family. There was then a mention of the residence being on fire, and the caller reported finding a bucket of gasoline being left in the front yard.

When Officer Lupe arrived on scene, he located a small fire in the front yard that he put out with a fire extinguisher.

Through the investigation, it was discovered that a man wearing a clown mask had broken the window and dumped gasoline into the residence, with a trail leading to the sidewalk. He then lit the gas on fire, causing damage to the residence.

Turlock Fire and the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit arrived on scene shortly after.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist is encouraged to call Officer Lupe at 209-668-1200.