Criminal Justice Instructor Charged With Arson
Colleen Flaherty
August 12, 2021
Gary Stephen Maynard, an adjunct instructor of criminal justice studies who worked at several northern California colleges, is being held in jail on suspicion of arson, according to the Sacramento Bee. Maynard was charged in connection with the Ranch Fire in Lassen County after investigators put a tracker on his car. He is accused of setting more fires, including some near the ongoing Dixie Fire, over the last several weeks. Attorney Michael Anderson asked that Maynard not be released from custody, citing public safety concerns. Both Sonoma State and Santa Clara Universities said Maynard last taught at their respective institutions in 2020. Maynard reportedly told investigators that he did not set any fires.
