Overview

• Santa Clara County Superior Court dismissed the local charge at a Monday morning hearing, with a prosecutor citing the ongoing federal case to preserve judicial economy.
• A federal grand jury indicted Richard Tillman in early August on one count of malicious destruction of government property by fire, and he pleaded not guilty last Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Jose.
• According to the federal complaint, Tillman allegedly crashed his vehicle into San Jose’s Almaden Valley post office on July 20 and set it ablaze, causing significant damage.
• Investigative filings say he placed fireplace “insta-logs” soaked in lighter fluid in his car, backed into the building, lit a match, and livestreamed the act on YouTube to make a statement to the U.S. government.
• The county case had been paused for a competency evaluation in late July, and family members have previously described his long-standing severe mental-health struggles while declining further comment.