Man arrested in SUV arson released from LA jail

[villager]

Man arrested in connection with SUV arson released from LA jail

Monday, September 15, 2003

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(09-15) 20:53 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --

A 25-year-old man arrested last week for allegedly starting a fire that did $1 million in damage to a Hummer dealership was released Monday because the case had not been turned over to the district attorney's office.

Joshua Thomas Connole, of Pomona, was freed shortly before 4:30 p.m., sheriff's Deputy David Cervantes said. Connole was arrested at his home Friday and initially booked for investigation of felony arson and vandalism.

West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said the case against Connole, who still remains a suspect, could not be presented to prosecutors within the required 48-hour period.

<snip>

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/09/15/state2135EDT0196.DTL

[joeybee12]

1. Sounds like they didn't have a case!

Does that surprise me??????????

[slackmaster]

2. Felony charge - Putting a case together takes time

The minimum sentence for first offense of arson against property (other than a building or public land or something you own) in California is 16 months in state prison. It's not unusual for felony suspects to be released on WHC and then re-arrested.

[Ergotron]

3. That'll teach those big, bad SUV's to mess with Mr. Connole.

Ironically, Mr. Connole probably released more polutants by burning all of the plastics and such that make up the vehicle than the all of the trucks would have produced out of their tailpipes.

Sill trying to understand how burning a couple dozen trucks and a dealer showroom will help his cause. The insurance will replace the building and pay for 20 MORE H2s. Net result is MORE resources being used to replace the ones already used. Kind of self defeating, eh?

[slackmaster]

4. Same mentality as the ELFers who burned a building in San Diego

Something like $50 million in damage, and hundreds of trees will be cut down to replace the lumber that was burned and polluted our air.

The place was graded over 25 years ago. We tried to save those vernal pools but were overrun by corrupt Republican city government in the pockets of big developers.

[villager]

5. so you're assuming he's guilty...

...because he was arrested? Let's wait until there's some actual "evidence," and not lapse into any "Patriot Act" thinking...

[Ergotron]

11. You are correct..he is innocent..

unless and until he is proven guilty in court.

[frylock]

6. "The insurance will replace the building and pay for 20 MORE H2s"

yeh.. kinda fishy, huh? Especially with slumping sales. But, I'm sure the dealer had nothing at all to do with it. Yup.. prolly those damn hippies.

[Piperay]

7. A person is presumed innocent until

proven guilty, you are assuming guilt inspite of him just having been released! :crazy:

[FlemingsGhost]

12. Making assumptions is "kind of self-defeating."

Eh?

[genius]

8. Josh was arrested solely because of his peace work

He was the organizer of the Brea peace protests. The feds regularly monitored that protest. On 9/11, four fed cars followed him home from the Santa Ana College peace rally. He does not look anything like either of the individuals on the video of the incident. He has proof that he was elsewhere at the time of the incident. Everyone who knows him, is certain that the only reason he was arrested was because of his peace work.

What happened to Josh, could happen to any one of us. We need to all watch are backs and stick together.

[drewb]

9. Yeah, watch the horizon for the black helicopters!!!

:tinfoilhat:

LOL!

[villager]

10. doesn't sound too "tinfoil" to me...

...probably exactly why he was targeted. Let's see what the "evidence" is...

[Ergotron]

13. Funny you should mention the black helicopters...

[genius]

14. Why do you think no charges were filed after bail was set at $825,000

Why do you think peace activists from three counties came to protest his arrest on bogus charges? There was no evidence against him. They couldn't even find spray paint. He had witnesses to his whereabouts at the time of the incident.

Additionally, for no legitimate reasons, a child was taken away from a mother who attended the Brea protest(the peace protest organized by Josh). This occurred well before Josh's arrest. She is now only allowed to see the child two hours per week.

People who keep up on what's going on know that Josh was only arrested because of his peace work.

The black helocopter nonsense sounds like what I would expect from a Feeper.


Perhaps it time for a rewriting of the relevant statement on the subject.
First they came for Josh, and I wasn't Josh, so I didn't care...
And then they came for me and there was no one left.

[neomonkey]

15. Some DUer's rush to judgement

I am so disturbed to see the close-minded rushing to judgement I have seen on this board regarding Josh. At this point, the argument isn't about whether or not torching SUV's is "good" or "bad." The man was arrested and charged with this crime, and the police were forced to release him because they had a weak and unprepared case. Law enforcement folks (especially those particularly wonderful folks in anti-terrorism units) feel emboldened and brash in this day and age of "you're with us or a terrorist" mentality. Josh was a vocal and blatant liberal activist and he was an easy target. Is he guilty? Who knows? I sure don't, and no one else here does either. However I suspect many badge-flashing Rambos feel they have a little more latitude to abuse the civil rights of those they feel aren't popular in the current anti-American = terrorist vernacular.

PS - I know of a person who works in a certain police agency in the anti-terrorism unit in this area, and they have been spending their wonderful time chasing down ELF'ers. I guess business is slow.

[villager]

16. well put

n/t

[psychopomp]

17. AND...

in times like these we (liberal, progressive, anti-fascist, anti-bushit* and so on) need to watch our backs and be on the lookout for each other.