A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a convicted arsonist who has twice failed to appear in court for sentencing.
A jury convicted the disgraced former Safe Haven volunteer Robert Dean Cates, 74, also known as Robert Dean Koym, of torching the Recovery and Wellness Center on Oct. 24, 2019, just a month after the mental health and substance abuse treatment program moved to its new home on Oak Street.
Cates, who had been a peer leader at the Wellness Center, used his keys to enter and start the fire after he had been voted off the Board of Directors, the jury concluded. The convicted firebug was also found guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, after arson investigators discovered the weapon in Cates Colusa apartment when they were executing a search warrant.
Cates had been previously convicted of criminally negligent homicide and tampering with physical evidence in connection to the 1997 shooting death of an Alaska man, when he was living there under the name Robert Dean Kroym.
Cates also has a lengthy criminal history in California, dating to the 1970s, including allegations involving burglary, vehicle theft, and carrying a concealed weapon. According to court records,
Cates has a number of alcohol related crimes, including several for intoxicated driving, including a Colusa County DUI conviction in 2010.
Cates has remained out of jail on his own recognizance since early in the arson proceedings.
When he failed to appear in court on July 12 for sentencing, Judge Jeffrey A. Thompson issued a ” no bail” warrant, but held it one week to give Cates an opportunity to come forward.
When Cates failed to contact his public defender, and again failed to appear for sentencing, Thompson released the warrant calling for his immediate arrest. –