Police in Rifle arrested a man for investigation of arson for allegedly torching four businesses on Labor Day, causing $1.6 million in damages.
Robin Jay Clifton, 46, of Col bran was arrested in connection with fires that destroyed an Amoco gas station and a bowling alley.
The Rifle Fireside Lanes, which was under construction at the time of the fires, was a near-total loss, said Rifle Police Chief Daryl Meisner.
One of the fires in which Clifton is being investigated was set at a complex of townhomes where residents were asleep at the time, according to Meisner.
An arrest warrant affidavit alleges that Clifton committed 13 felony crimes: four counts of arson, four counts of criminal mischief, three counts of burglary, attempted manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence. Bail was set at $100,000. As of Friday, he had not been charged.
Investigators from several local, state and federal agencies, including the FBI, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Rifle Police Department worked the case for seven months, Meisner said.
Clifton has criminal convictions in Arizona, Idaho and Utah for crimes including drunken driving, robbery, escape, theft and marijuana possession.
In 1989, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery in Utah, according to court records. On March 29, he was given a 10-day suspended sentence in Mesa County Court for theft of less than $100. On Dec. 5, he was given a community-service sentence and fined for marijuana possession, also in Mesa County Court.
There also are pending charges against Clifton. On Sept. 1, he was charged with indecent exposure, motor vehicle theft, and theft of between $500 and $15,000. On Nov. 21, he was arrested on two charges of theft and trespassing.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
