Trial date set for man accused of burning down homeless shelter

A Nov. 2 trial date has been set for a former resident of the House of Hope, a Christian homeless shelter in Santee, which was set on fire in 2014.

Francisco “Frankie” Castro, 24, has pleaded not guilty to the Oct. 2, 2014 torching of the shelter that once housed up to 50 people at 10320 Prospect Avenue before the House of Hope closed its doors. Castro was ordered to stand trial after a preliminary hearing in El Cajon Superior Court.

A Nov. 2 trial date has been set for a former resident of the House of Hope, a Christian homeless shelter in Santee, which was set on fire in 2014.

Francisco “Frankie” Castro, 24, has pleaded not guilty to the Oct. 2, 2014 torching of the shelter that once housed up to 50 people at 10320 Prospect Avenue before the House of Hope closed its doors. Castro was ordered to stand trial after a preliminary hearing in El Cajon Superior Court.

Castro is alleged to have intentionally started the fire and he reportedly used to live there. The shelter closed down after the District Attorney’s office and sheriff’s deputies investigated allegations of misuse of government EBT cards before the fire.

Castro remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility on $75,000 bail following his June 26 arrest by the Fugitive Task Force.

Preliminary hearing set for alleged stabbing in Lemon Grove

An Oct. 14 preliminary hearing has been set for Michael Bruno, 45, charged with assault with a deadly weapon in the stabbing of a 26-year-old man outside the Copa Cabana Bar & Grill in Lemon Grove.

The incident at the bar at 7826 Broadway took place on Aug. 16. The man was stabbed in the abdomen, shoulder, and elbow, and he was taken to a hospital.

Bruno was on probation at the time on a drug charge. He has pleaded not guilty in El Cajon Superior Court and remains in jail on $100,000 bail.

Backcountry alleged arsonist to stand trial on five counts

A judge has ordered Jonathan Benjamin Cohen, 44, to stand trial on five counts of arson on fires he set in the backcountry based on a long investigation on surveillance cameras in Lakeside and elsewhere.

Cohen, of Poway, will get a trial date set on Sept. 17 in El Cajon Superior Court. Judge John Thompson heard testimony from CalFire witnesses in a 2-day preliminary hearing that ended on Sept. 3.

CalFire’s investigation started after a wildfire started on Feb. 14, 2006 near Muth Valley Road west of Wildcat Canyon Road, according to court records. Surveillance cameras picked up the license plate tags of Cohen’s two vehicles near the scene of many fires. A tracker was put on one of his cars in 2014.

CalFire workers put in 3,024 hours in investigation from 2006-2015. Testimony was presented about uncharged fires. Cohen is accused of starting four fires this year and one in 2014. He has pleaded not guilty and remains in jail on $250,000 bail since his July 9 arrest.