SLO man found guilty of arson for fifth time. He could serve 25 years in prison
A San Luis Obispo man was found guilty of arson on Friday — the fifth time he’s been convicted of that type of crime — and will be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison, the SLO County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Bradley Norman Parrish, 54, set fire to the land along San Luis Obispo Creek near the Elks Lodge on June 13, 2022, the agency said.
Two bystanders noticed the smoke and hurried to use shovels to douse the fire, but Parrish told them to let the flames burn — threatening one of the bystanders “that if he didn’t have a shovel in his hand he would fight him,” the news release said.
The SLO City Fire Department extinguished the blaze before it could burn any structures, the agency said.
Parrish had been convicted arson four times before setting fire to the land near Elks Lodge, “three of which were ‘serious’ or ‘violent’ strike offenses under under California’s Three Strikes sentencing law,” the news release said.
Because of his prior convictions, Parrish faces a prison sentence of at least 25 years, the agency said.
On Sept. 19, Parrish will appear in Department 10 of the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court for sentencing. Judge Jesse Marino will sentence him, the agency said.
Parrish is currently in custody at San Luis Obispo County Jail.
This story was originally published July 21, 2023 at 6:19 PM.
