Suspicious Couple Near Marie Fire Evacuation Road Closure Arrested

Mokelumne Hill, CA – A couple was arrested after trying to drive past road closure signs for the Marie Fire burning near Mokelumne Hill in Calaveras County.

The incident occurred last night (7/23) around 11:20 p.m. when sheriff’s deputies assigned to security within the evacuation area stopped a vehicle attempting to enter the restricted disaster zone through a closed roadway at Highway 26 and Jesus Maria Road. Inside the car, which can be viewed in the image box photos, were 50-year-old Tony Johnston of Valley Springs and 59-year-old Crystal Boster of Mokelumne Hill.

While questioning the pair, deputies saw an open alcohol bottle in the car. They also noticed that the vehicle’s registration expired in October last year. A records check also showed that Johnston’s driver’s license was suspended.

The couple’s answers to why they were trying to enter the fire disaster area through the road closure signs did not add up either, shared sheriff’s officials.

“Despite acknowledging the road closure, Johnston claimed he was bringing Boster home, though Boster could not provide the deputies with an exact address,” noted deputies.

Subsequently, Johnston was arrested for driving on a suspended license and entering a disaster area, while Crystal Boster was handcuffed for entering a disaster area.