Late NFL star Pat Tillman's brother arrested for driving into California post office

In the early hours of Sunday, July 20, emergency crews in San Jose were dispatched to a fire at the Almaden Valley Post Office, an incident that would later be tied to Pat Tillman.

Firefighters arrived at the scene, located on Crown Boulevard in the city’s south side, to find a vehicle engulfed in flames inside the post office’s box lobby area. According to the San Jose Fire Department, around 50 personnel responded.

“Second alarm response with ~50 personnel on scene. Defensive operations were performed to prevent extension. No injuries reported. Cause is under investigation,” the department shared on Instagram, alongside images of the blaze.

Suspect identifies himself as NFL star Pat Tillman's brother

Soon after, authorities identified the man in custody as Richard Tillman, the younger brother of Pat Tillman. Richard Tillman, 44, was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of arson, ABC News reported. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office listed his arrest in public inmate records and confirmed a court date for Wednesday, July 23, at noon.

A source cited by NBC Bay Area claimed that Richard Tillman told officers on the scene he was Pat Tillman's brother and had allegedly live-streamed the act on social media. According to ABC News, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service also confirmed the sequence of events.

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“Shortly after 3 a.m., the San Jose Fire and Police Departments responded to reports of a vehicle on fire in the box lobby area at the Almaden Valley Station Post Office. The fire was extinguished with no injuries.”

“The person in police custody is named Richard Tillman, who is reported to be the brother of the late NFL player and US Army soldier Patrick Tillman,” the USPIS said in a statement, as noted by CNN.

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