Jury Finds Daniel Montes Guilty of Arson to Commit Insurance Fraud

Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer announced an insurance fraud conviction involving arson. On August 31, 2026, in a case prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Louis Jameson, a Kern County jury found Daniel Montes guilty of arson and automobile insurance fraud. On September 1, 2026, the jury found true that Montes had two prior strike convictions. The jury also found true the following aggravating factors: The crime involved damage of great monetary value, Montes’s prior convictions were numerous and of increasing seriousness, he had served a prior term in prison, he was on probation when this crime was committed, and that his prior performance under supervision was unsatisfactory.