Man Sets Mother’s Body on Fire After Dating App Meet, Sparks Wildfire That Kills 2 Others

One man from California was found guilty of three counts of murder and arson for killing a mother he met on a dating app and starting a wildfire while trying to burn the first woman’s body. The fire killed two other people.

The 33-year-old Victor Serriteno pleaded “not guilty” on Friday in exchange for a prison sentence of 73 years to life, according to a news statement from the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.

The man from Vacaville killed three people in August 2020. According to officials, he killed Priscilla Castro, 32, of Vallejo on or around August 16, 2020, and then killed 82-year-old Douglas Mai and 64-year-old Leon Bone in the fire that followed.

A news release from the Vacaville Police Department says Serriteno tried to burn Castro’s body on August 18, 2020. That same day, Cal Fire was called to a fire at the Putah Creek Wildlife Area entrance near Highway 128, which is in Solano County, which is between San Francisco and Sacramento. The Reporter says the fire in northern Solano County burned hundreds of buildings, most of them homes, and tore through thousands of acres.

Based on a news release from District Attorney Krishna Abrams’ office, Serriteno killed Priscilla Castro and then drove her to the Putah Creek Wildlife Area, which is off of Highway 128, where he dumped her body. It seems likely that Serriteno was near Priscilla’s body when the Markley Fire began, based on other information.

After all was said and done, Serriteno started “one of the worst fires in the history of Solano County.” According to Vacaville Police, Castro’s body parts were “badly burned and unrecognizable.” However, an angel pendant she wore was found in the wreckage and helped connect Serriteno to what happened.

Officials say that Mai and Bone died in Vacaville when the Markley Fire combined with the Hennessey Fire and burned through parts of the LNU Lightning Complex and north Solano County, where they lived.

“Those who were affected will never be the same,” Abrams said. “We can’t take back the horrible, brutal, and pointless things that defendant Serriteno did, but we hope that this plea today will make it clear that the defendant is guilty, that he is being held responsible, and that everyone who was hurt can finally find justice and closure. The most important thing is that he can’t hurt our town again.

For second-degree murder, Serriteno could get 15 years to life in prison. For the deaths of Bone and Mai, he could get an extra 25 years to life in prison. He also got eight years for setting fires, which brought his total sentence to 73 years to life in prison.

About The Author