Sailor accused of starting a destructive ship fire was known for hating the Navy, investigators say

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Morning Mix

The sailor accused of starting a destructive ship fire was known for hating the Navy, investigators say

By Andrea Salcedo and Gina Harkins
Today at 7:40 a.m. EDT

Just before a fire started on a warship that burned for nearly five days in San Diego last summer, a witness told investigators he saw a fellow sailor — known to his leadership for showing disdain toward the Navy — walking to the spot where the blaze first ignited.

Ryan Sawyer Mays, a 20-year-old from Kentucky, carried a metal bucket into the vessel’s lower storage area, according to new court documents identifying him as the person accused of destroying the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard. Navy officials announced last week that a sailor had been charged with aggravated arson and willful hazarding of a vessel in connection to the July 2020 fire, but they did not publicly identify the suspect.

Mays is not only accused of intentionally setting the blaze, but also of tampering with fire-safety equipment on the ship and crime-scene evidence in an attempt to hinder the federal investigation, according to documents filed in the Southern California U.S. District Court and unsealed Tuesday. ... More than 70 people were injured trying to extinguish the fire.

Mays, a seaman apprentice, joined the Navy in May 2019. He attempted SEAL training later that year but dropped out after five days, according to court documents. Mays was assigned to the Bonhomme Richard in March 2020 and was responsible for routine maintenance as part of the ship’s deck department.

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By Andrea Salcedo
Andrea Salcedo is a reporter on The Washington Post's Morning Mix team. Before joining The Post in 2020, she covered breaking news and features for the New York Times metro desk. Twitter https://twitter.com/andreapsalcedo

By Gina Harkins
Gina Harkins is the editor of Morning Mix at The Washington Post. She joined The Post in 2021 after reporting on the Defense Department for a decade at Military Times and Military.com. Twitter https://twitter.com/ginaaharkins

[hlthe2b]

1. Yikes! I surely hope the military has gotten serious about screening new recruits...

One can't identify all threats but the decades of ignoring white supremacists and others posing risk has got to end.

[wyn borkins]

2. A Naval Disaster

For Ryan Sawyer Mays, there will never be sufficient punishment

Even his imprisonment cannot bring back what was so horribly lost