| | | | | | File No. F-21-06635 Stephanie A. Bridgett DISTRICT ATTORNEY Shasta County 1355 West Street Redding, CA 96001 (530) 245-6300 shastada@co.shasta.ca.us Attorney for Plaintifi IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SHASTA Redding Branch THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA No. 21-06635 Plaintiff, COMPLAINT-CRIMINAL vs, Felony ALEXANDRA ANDREEVNA, SOUVERNEVA, Next Court Date: 09/24/2021 AKA: ALEXANDRA A SOUVERNEVA AKA: ALEXANDRA SOUVERNEVA ||. __ Defendants) DA #F-21-06635 CAL FIRE/CDF 21CASHU010480 The District Attomey of Shasta County, by and through the undersigned Deputy District Attomey, on information and belief, complains and accuses defendant(s) of having committed, in the County of Shasta, State of California, the crime(s) of: COUNT 1 ARSON OF STRUCTURE OR FOREST LAND, in violation of Section 451(C) of the Penal Code, a Felony. Defendant (3) ALEXANDRA ANDREEVNA SOUVERNEVA, On or about the 22nd day of September, 2021, did willfully, unlawfully, and maliciously set fire to and bum and cause to be bumed a structure and forest land located at FAWNDALE RD EAST OF INTERSTATE 5, NEAR MOUNTAIN GATE, CA. It is further alleged that the above offense is a serious felony within the meaning of Penal Code Section 1192.7(¢)(14).ENHANCEMENTS 454(A) PC SPECIAL ALLEGATION ARSON DURING STATE OF EMERGENCY Itis further alleged that the defendant(s) ALEXANDRA ANDREEVNA SOUVERNEVA, As to Count I, it is alleged the defendant, committed the above offense during and within an area of a state of emergency, pursuant to Section 8625 of the Government Code, which was proclaimed by the Governor of the State of California, within the meaning of Penal Code Section 454, EAMON FITZGERALD | Senior Deputy District Attorney Subscribed and sworn on September 23, 2021 Pursuant to Penal Code Section 1054.5(b), the People are hereby informally requesting that defense counsel provide discovery to the people as required by Penal Code Section 1054.3. EF/kbCe a aw 10 u 12 13 4 15 16 7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 HOLDING ORDER It appearing to me that the offense(s) in the within complaint has/have been committed, and ‘hat there is sufficient cause to believe that the defendant(s) ALEXANDRA ANDREEVNA SOUVERNEVA, AKA: ALEXANDRA A SOUVERNEVA. AKA: ALEXANDRA SOUVERNEVA. is guilty thereof. "The defendant(s) ALEXANDRA ANDREEVNA SOUVERNEVA, AKA: ALEXANDRA A SOUVERNEVA. AKA: ALEXANDRA SOUVERNEVA having waived preliminary hearing to the offense(s) set forth in this complaint, Exceptions/Additions/Conditions: J order that the defendant be held to answer to same. In my capacity as Judge of the Superior Court, I deem the within complaint to be an Information and order it filed in the Superior Court. order that the defendant be held to answer to same. An Information is to be filed by the ‘District Attomey's Office within the statutory time limit for defendant's arraignment on said Information, Date: Dept. Judge of the Superior Court Sitting as MagistrateANON Ss 1 12 13 14 15 16 NARRATIVE: On 9/22/2021 at 4:43 PM | was in full CAL FIRE law enforcement uniform driving a marked department vehicle. The Redding Emergency Command Center dispatch a vegetation fire near Fawndale Road, east of Interstate 5 near the community of Mountain Gate California in Shasta County. ‘At approximately 5:00 PM | arrived and accessed through the Mountain Gate Quarry off Fawndale Road and saw a vegetation fire buming in a creek drainage up the hillside. The fire was approximately 10 acres and spreading at a moderate rate. I contacted Jonah HARPER, DOB 1/8/1976, Phone: 530-440-9903, who told me he was the foreman for the JF Shea Quarry. He told me he saw a white female adult trespassing on the JF Shea Quarry at approximately 9:00 AM that day. He described the female as 5-8, skinny, blonde wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and gray pants. He said she ignored his worker's when they told her she was not allowed on the property and continued walking east into the vegetation, Before losing site of the subject, she discarded items along a dirt road that consisted of two small CO2 cartridges and @ "AA" 10F3 orricers INTIALS_ 2ar oanr ona "4 12 13 14 15 16 417 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Battery. | photographed and collected the items to be booked later at the CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity evidence locker. l accessed the fire's edge by a dirt road that was to the east of where the female subject was last seen walking into the vegetation. I conducted a systematic and methodical Origin and Cause investigation of the fire. | saw macro and micro burn pattems that indicated the General Origin Area (GOA) was along adry creek bed. | walked the area looking for any competent ignition sources and found none. | returned to my vehicle once it became dark. ‘At approximately 8:00 PM CAL FIRE Captain Dennis BOIC contacted a white female adult on the fire's edge while working to extinguish the fire. BOIC requested a patient evaluation of the female for possible dehydration. Mountain Gate Fire Protection District Chief (C41) responded to BOIC's location and transported the female subject to Fawndale Road and Interstate 5. Paramedics evaluated the subject and medically cleared the subject. | contacted the subject and introduced myself as an officer with CAL FIRE law enforcement. | positively identified the subject as Alexandra SOUVERNEVA, DOB: 40/18/1990 by her United States Passport and a prior booking photo on my Mobile Data Computer in my department vehicle. | asked her if she could empty out her pockets and fanny pack. She proceedes fo empty out miscellaneous items including CO2 cartridges that matched the ones | collected from the JF Shea Quarry. She also had a functioning cigarette lighter and a pink and white item containing a green leafy substance she admitted to smoking that day. She described the item as an “incendiary device” that she made safe by removing the battery. | asked her what she was doing in the area that day. She told me she was hiking and that she had been contacted by someone telling her she couldn’ be on the property. She continued hiking attempting to get to Canada. She told me she became thirsty and found a puddle of water in a dry creek bed. She said the water contained bear urine and tried to filter the water with a tea bag. She said that didn’t work so she attempted to make a fire to boil the water, She stated it was too wet for the fire to start. She said she drank the water anyway and then continued walking uphill from the creek bed. She saw airplanes dropping pink stuff and she saw smoke. She told me she then got stuck in brush and contacted fire department personnel who assiste her. She told me she was driven down in a pickup and was contacted by me. | placed Alexandra SOUVERNEVA in restraints and read her Miranda Advisement from my departme issued card. She was placed in CAL FIRE Officer Darren STEWART's department vehicle and transported to the Shasta County Jail to be booked for Penal Code 451(c), Arson to Forestland 20F3 oFFicers InmIAs_ 2A vegetation fire occurred on 9/21/2021 at approximately 9:13 PM near the intersection of Cascade Boulevard and Shasta Dam Boulevard (21CASHU010452). The Shasta Lake City Fire Protection District determined the cause of the fire to be arson. | asked SOUVERNEVA where she was that day. She told me she was at the Shasta County Jail and was released at approximately 4:00 PM. She walked north and found water in an area surrounded by vegetation. She told me she did not use fire to try and boil the water that time. Based on the overwhelming evidence indicating SOUVERNEVA's responsiblity for the Fawn Fire, it is my opinion there is a high possibility she is responsible for the vegetation fire in Shasta Lake City the previous evening. It is my experience that arsonists are responsible-for multiple fires and will ight muttiple fires in a short timeframe. CONCLUSION: Based on my training, experience, witness statements and evidence at scene it is my opinion SOUVERNEVA is responsible for the Fawn Vegetation Fire. At the time of this report the fire is burning uncontrolled in Shasta County near the Communities of Jones Valley, Mountain Gate and East Redding. Mandatory evacuations have been made due to the fire and possible structures have been impacted by the fire. Once a damage assessment has been completed when the fire is contained additional charges may be sought. Penal Code 454(a) is an enhancement to Penal Code 451 and 452 during proclaimed states of emergency. The governor of California has issued multiple proclamations due to on going hazardous fire conditions and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Based on the statements made by SOUVERNEVA and the vegetation fire on 9/21/2021 that was determined to be arson, | recommend she be prosecuted for Penal Code 451(c), Arson to Forest Land. It is my opinion, based my training and experience investigating arson fires, that the act of lighting the fire was intentional. PRINTED NAME ‘SIGNATURE BADGE NUMBER DATE L Matt Alexander 4254 9/23/2024 CAL FIRE Mailing Address fate I ZIP Phone 875 Cypress Avenue Redding, CA 96001 | (630) 225-2423 ae 30F3 OFFICERS INITIALS,