Bookkeeper Convicted of Burning Down San Diego Business to Cover up Missing $700,000

A bookkeeper was convicted April 8 for intentionally setting fire to a Kearney Mesa business to cover up the disappearance of more than $700,000, the United States Attorney’s Office said in an April 8 statement. Carey Alice Hernandez, 46, was found guilty by jurors of malicious destruction of a building by means of fire, witness tampering and making false statements after a four-day trial for what prosecutors called a “multimillion-dollar loss,” according to the statement. “ATF’s National Response Team responded to this multimillion-dollar loss within 24 hours determining the fire was deliberately set,” said Chris Bombardiere, the special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in the statement....