KCBA - Monterey, Salinas, Santa Cruz - News Weather-Arsonist to Be Sentenced for Fires in PG and Monterey

Arsonist to Be Sentenced for Fires in PG and Monterey

SALINAS, Calif- Nathan Augustine, age 28 of Pacific Grove, pled guilty to two counts of arson and admitted using an incendiary device.

On July 13, 2009, Creative Visions, a tattoo parlor in Monterey, suffered fire damage. Fire investigators determined that the cause of the fire was arson. Located at the scene was a vodka bottle converted into an arson device, commonly referred to as a Molotov cocktail.

Two days later on July 15, 2009, Lattitudes Restaurant in Pacific Grove suffered a similar fate. Located at the fire's point of origin was a vodka bottle converted into an arson device. Both bottles had handwriting on them in red ink with the words "Russian Standard," a swastika, and a unique symbol similar to the British Union Jack with added diagonal lines through it.

A few months prior to these arsons, employees of Creative Visions reported a peace disturbance at their business after they refused to tattoo on Augustine's chest a swastika and a likeness of President Obama overlaid with crosshairs. Augustine also had prior negative contact with the Lattitudes Restaurant when he was denied employment by the assistant manager, a black person.

Police searched Augustine's house and found numerous containers of lighter fluid, gloves similar to gloves found at the Lattitudes Restaurant, and the unique symbol similar to the British Union Jack with additional lines through it. Augustine was arrested and confessed to the crimes.

Augustine will be sentenced by the Judge Russell D. Scott on March 12, 2010, and may receive a seven-year prison sentence.