Suspect wanted for stealing vehicle in Ashland arrested in N. California

DEL NORTE COUNTY, Calif. – A man who is accused of stealing a car from Ashland and setting multiple fires in northern California is now behind bars.

The Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office said on November 10, seven fires were put out by firefighters on Siskiyou Fork Road, about one-and-a-half miles from Highway 199. A vehicle stolen from Ashland, Oregon was found nearby.

Deputies couldn’t remove the vehicle right away, so they gathered evidence and left it overnight. The next morning, a new fire was found nearby. It was extinguished and the vehicle was removed from the area.

Sunday evening, a new fire was reported on Little Jones Creek Road near Jawbone. Local fire crews working with the U.S. Forest Service were able to get the fire under control. Responding deputies found two more fires close by, one of which appeared to have been set in the branches of a tree.

According to DNSO, the arson investigation led them to contact Ashland police regarding the stolen vehicle. Officers there provided deputies with a description of the suspect and the search began in Del Norte County.

On Monday morning, the suspect was spotted near Panther Flat Campgound. Deputies tracked him and eventually received a report identifying him as Michael Lindauer, who was believed to be at a local market.

Tips started coming in from residents of Gasquet, helping to guide the search for Lindauer. He was eventually found in the area and taken into custody.

He was booked into the Del Norte County Jail for vehicle theft. He’s also wanted on other unrelated vehicle theft charges in two separate California jurisdictions.

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