Arson Incident Involving Pat Tillman’s Brother
In a surprising turn of events, Richard Tillman, the brother of late NFL player Pat Tillman, was arrested in San Jose, California, after allegedly crashing his vehicle into a post office and igniting a fire. The incident occurred around 3 a.m. at the Almaden Valley post office on Crown Boulevard, according to state police.
Authorities took Richard, 44, into custody on charges of arson. Matthew Norfleet from the U.S. Postal Service mentioned that they are treating the case as a deliberate act. “We can’t quite grasp why this would happen, but we’re looking into it,” he noted.
Video footage from the scene revealed vandalism, including the phrase “Viva La Me” spray-painted inside the post office. Norfleet added, “These markings weren’t present before yesterday, and the connection between the crash and the fire remains unclear.” He even speculated that Richard might have been live-streaming the incident.
A witness shared that Richard had belongings in the car, including a photograph of Pat. Local resident Gladys Fuerta commented, “I remember following Pat’s story. Coming from military families myself, it really resonated with me.”
Some residents expressed concerns about their mail. “I might just check if the mailman will still come by,” Tom Gerber remarked, unsure if he would receive his mail that day.
Currently, Richard Tillman is being held at the Santa Clara County Jail without bail, with a court appearance set for Wednesday.
Pat Tillman is widely remembered for his bravery; he famously left a lucrative NFL career to serve in the Army after the 9/11 attacks. Tragically, he lost his life in Afghanistan in 2004 due to friendly fire, a fact that shocked many.
