Sailor found not guilty of setting fire that destroyed ship

By ELLIOT SPAGAT
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Navy judge has ruled a sailor was not guilty of setting a fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego in 2020. The ruling Friday came after a nine-day trial at Naval Base San Diego. Prosecutors charged then-19-year-old Ryan Sawyer Mays with arson and the willful hazarding of a ship, saying he ignited cardboard boxes in a lower vehicle storage area. There is no physical evidence, however, tying Mays to the fire. A Navy report last year concluded that the fire that destroyed the $1.2 billion amphibious assault ship was preventable and unacceptable. More than 20 senior officers and sailor were disciplined in connection with the incident.