Witness Says He Saw Accused Sailor Minutes Before Fire Started Aboard USS Bonhomme Richard
Mays was wearing a mask at the time, but the witness testified he recognized him by his voice and appearance
By Dana Griffin and City News Service • Published September 22, 2022 • Updated 6 hours ago
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Mays was wearing a mask at the time, but the witness testified he recognized him by his voice and appearance. NBC 7’s Dana Griffin has more.
A U.S. Navy sailor testified Thursday that Ryan Sawyer Mays was the last person he saw go into a lower vehicle storage area of USS Bonhomme Richard before a massive fire started and burned for days on the ship as it was docked in the San Diego Bay.
The prosecution's key witness, Sailor Kinji Velasco, took the stand on the fourth day of the trial for Mays, who is accused of arson in connection with the fire that destroyed the Navy ship in July 2020.
Velasco said he saw Mays -- who was wearing blue boot camp coveralls and was holding a bucket with two hands -- go into the lower V about 20 minutes before the fire started. As he passed, Velasco claims, Mays said "I love deck," which is a phrase sailors sarcastically use referencing the deck department, not known to be a glamorous job.
Mays was wearing a mask at the time, but he recognized him by his voice and appearance, Velasco testified.
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/witness-says-he-saw-accused-sailor-minutes-before-fire-started-aboard-uss-bonhomme-richard/3053756/
