SAN JOSE, Calif. – The driver of a car that crashed into the Almaden Valley Post Office on Sunday appeared in court Wednesday morning to face charges of arson and vandalism.
The driver, 44-year-old Richard Tillman, is accused of deliberately crashing into the post office in the 6500 block of Crown Boulevard in the Almaden Valley section of San Jose, and then lighting the building on fire.
What we know:
Tillman, the brother of former NFL star Pat Tillman, was arrested at 3 a.m. on Sunday after allegedly crashing his car into the Almaden Valley post office and starting a fire that took more than 50 firefighters over 90 minutes to extinguish.
The charging documents state Tillman had bought “insta-logs” and lighter fluid at a nearby supermarket just hours before the collision. He is alleged to have then scattered the logs throughout his vehicle, doused them in lighter fluid, backed his vehicle into the post office and then lit the car on fire.
San Jose police officers responding to the scene reported seeing the words “VIVA LA ME” spray-painted on the outside of the building, and reported that evidence showed Tillman was responsible. He was also allegedly livestreaming the incident on YouTube from his cellphone, under the username “MepapasSon13.”
