A Durango man with a history of arson allegations was formally charged Tuesday with one count of felony stalking.
Notably missing was a charge of arson.
Bradley Clark, 53, was arrested May 18 on suspicion of stalking a woman with whom he had a brief romantic relationship. He was arrested again three days later on suspicion of setting the woman’s car on fire.
Prosecutors said the investigation into the car fire remained active as of Tuesday.
Clark’s charging document said he “unlawfully, feloniously and knowingly” made contact with the woman after being told to stop, which caused her to suffer serious emotional distress. Clark was given a restraining order prohibiting contact with the woman, required to turn over any firearms he may own and submit to GPS monitoring.
After the alleged stalking offense, Clark was released from the La Plata County Jail on a $5,000 recognizance bond May 19 but arrested again May 21 after the same woman’s car lit on fire the night of May 20, according to court records and hearings.
If found guilty, Clark could face one to three years in prison, community corrections or probation. And, because it is a domestic violence case, he would need to take 32 to 56 weeks of domestic violence classes.
He allegedly texted the woman for two weeks after being told to stop. In one instance, he brought up one of the cases of arson he was accused of, reportedly saying “now you know the truth” and asked for an opportunity to explain himself.
He was at the center of two high-profile trials in 2021 in connection with a 2019 fire in south City Market’s chip aisle. A jury convicted him of setting the fire, and he served two years in prison until an appeals court overturned the conviction and granted him a new trial.
Prosecutors tried him a third time, which ended in a hung jury. After that, prosecutors declined to pursue a fourth trial, meaning Clark was not convicted of arson.
Additionally, he was previously alleged to have lit a dumpster on fire in 2007 and was considered a possible suspect for setting fore to an FLC professor’s office door in 2008.
Though Clark is accused of having lit the woman’s car on fire, he has not been formally charged for arson. Prosecutors said their joint arson investigation with Durango Fire Protection District is ongoing.
Clark’s next court date is set for June 11.