Arrests Made in Terra Bella Avenue Auto Fires

On Monday, January 13, 2014 at approximately 3:28AM Mountain View officers were dispatched to a fire to the rear of 1080 Terra Bella Avenue. When officers arrived, they discovered three vehicles fully engulfed in flames behind Pedro’s Auto Clinic located at that address. The vehicles were unoccupied and no one was injured, however Mountain View Fire and Police investigators began working to determine the origin and cause of the fire.

Suspect Angela Rutledge out of San Jose

Paul Schonhardt out of Los Altos

Over the past several weeks, a detective with MVPD’s Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) was able to develop and ultimately make arrests in this case along with assistance from MVFD and CSU. Suspects Angela Rutledge (28 year-old female out of San Jose) and Paul Schonhardt (28 year-old male out of Los Altos) were booked into San Jose’s Main Jail on charges ranging from arson of property (451(d) of the Penal Code) to possession of methamphetamine and controlled substances (11377(a) and 11350(a) of the Health and Safety Code).

“Not only is this a great example of our collaborative efforts with Mountain View Fire, but it’s demonstrative of — and a testament to — how our City supports crime suppression through the investigation and development of cases leading to arrests,” said Lt. Plamondon who oversees CSU.

MVPD’s Crime Suppression Unit handles burglaries, auto thefts and financial crimes. Investigators in this unit also handle special enforcement projects such as narcotics, vice, intelligence and covert operations. They also assist in major investigative cases. Our investigators are assigned to regional task forces, including one devoted to auto theft, one for high-technology crimes, one for street gangs and one for narcotics and major crimes.