NU man faces arson charges in four fires

Negron linked to

2002 New Ulm

Telecom fires

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- A 40-year-old New Ulm man was charged with four counts of Arson Thursday in Brown County District Court.

Gary R. Negron, a former New Ulm firefighter and former New Ulm Telecom employee, was charged with one count of arson in the first degree, two counts of arson in the second degree and one count of arson in the third degree Thursday.

Negron appeared in court Thursday before Watonwan County District Judge Allison Baskfield. He was released on his own recognizance.

Baskfield said Negron had no prior criminal history, and his release was agreed to by Brown County prosecuting attorney Clark Tuttle III.

Negron is linked to four "New Ulm Telecom" fires that occurred in New Ulm last year, according to the criminal complaint.

Those fires were:

* A Jan. 14, 2002, warehouse fire on 20th South Street, resulting in more than $500,000 property damage.

* An April 10, 2002, fire in the New Ulm Telecom "bucket" truck that resulted in significant damage to the truck cab.

* A July 2, 2002, fire of wooden cable spools stored in the area adjacent to the 20th Street warehouse resulting in more than $10,000 property damage.

* A Sept. 19, 2002, dumpster fire in the New Ulm Telecom parking lot in the 400 block of Second North Street.

In the September fire, New Ulm Police and Fire departments responded to the report of a fire in a dumpster behind the Lamplighter restaurant and in a parking lot owned by New Ulm Telecom in the 400 block of Second North Street, the complaint said.

Two days later, Lamplighter owner Brian Landreville informed police that he had a surveillance tape and he thought the person who set the fire may be on the tape, according to the complaint.

Landreville said the person on the tape, identified as Gary Negron, had been in the restaurant the evening before the fire, the complaint said. Before Negron could be interviewed, he contacted his supervisor at the fire department and said he may be responsible for the dumpster fire. He told his supervisors and investigating officers that he may have started the fire unintentionally when a cigarette he was smoking fell into the dumpster, according to the complaint.

Police became suspicious of Negron after the Sept. 19, 2002, dumpster fire for several reasons. It was the fourth fire of the year involving property owned by New Ulm Telecom. There was also concern regarding the truthfulness of Negron's admission. The investigation revealed that he did not contact fire department supervisors or New Ulm Telecom about his involvement in the fire until overhearing radio communications between the investigating officer and fire department supervisor regarding the videotape. Consequently, the police conducted a more in-depth investigation of the fires, according to the complaint.

About 20 New Ulm Telecom employees were interviewed by police. It was determined during the investigation that the April 10 bucket truck fire involved a truck controlled by Negron, who was a member of the New Ulm Fire Department and that he was at the scene of all the fires before they were reported to authorities, the complaint said.

After examining records and interviews, the investigation determined that Negron was at the 20th Street warehouse until about 20 minutes before the fire was reported to police and that he was the last person to leave the warehouse that morning.

Maximum penalties are 25 years in prison and/or a $35,000 fine for arson in the first degree, 10 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine for arson in the second degree and five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine for arson in the third degree.