Crime & Safety

No Evidence to Charge Two People Arrested for Fish Hook Arson in June

Two people arrested in a highly-publicized case were freed.

There isn't enough evidence to charge two people who were arrested in June for allegedly setting a fire near the Fish Hook, according to District Attorney Bob Lee.

Nichole Hawkins, 30, and Mitchell Edward Swienton, 49, were arrested June 20 on suspicion of starting the fire. Santa Cruz Police said that Swienton had a butane lighter on him and that Hawkins was angry at the Elks Lodge, near the blaze, which had towed her car from its lot.

However, Wednesday, District Attorney Bob Lee said that the pair would not be charged because there were no eyewitnesses, neither suspect made incriminating statements, the fire started in an area where there are a lot of transients and both suspects were arrested separately.

Lee said that despite the best efforts of Santa Cruz Police, there isn't evidence linking the pair to the crime. At the time of the arrest, police said they stopped Swienton carrying a butane lighter and Hawkins by the Homeless Services Center. They said witnesses saw the pair fleeing from the fire.

This is the second recent high-profile case in which there were no charges. In May, a man was arrested for allegedly stealing flowers from a police memorial, but it turned out that he had the receipt for the flowers. He spent 18 days in jail before his defense attorney found the receipt for the flowers in the items checked into the jail. 



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