A 38-year-old parolee who ignited two fires in Riverside that together caused nearly $2 million in damage pleaded guilty Tuesday to arson to a structure.
George Alexander Hill, an area transient, admitted the felony charge under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors agreed to drop another arson count, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of using an incendiary device and targeting multiple structures in an act of arson, filed against Hill.
Superior Court Judge Walter Kubelun scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 23 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Hill is being held in lieu of $90,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail.
According to the Riverside Fire Department, the defendant ignited a blaze that caused an estimated $100,000 damage to a Walmart in the 5200 block of Van Buren Boulevard on Oct. 23, 2022.
The blaze was knocked down a short time later and did not cause the store to cease operations. No one was hurt.
RFD Arson Investigator Ray Mendoza said that on the night of Dec. 18, 2022, Hill torched a pile of pallets outside a building, and the fire spread to the structure, where stuffed animals are manufactured.
Firefighters battled the blaze for an hour before gaining the upper hand. Again, no one was injured.
Total damage to that business was estimated to be $1.5 million, according to the fire department.
A possible motive for the offenses was not disclosed.
According to court records, Hill has prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of controlled substances.