Sailor Charged in Ship Fire Was Navy SEAL Dropout

Sailor Charged in Ship Fire Was Navy SEAL Dropout
Smoke rises from the USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego after an explosion and fire on board the ship at Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, Calif., on July 12, 2020. Denis Poroy/AP Photo
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SAN DIEGO—The sailor charged with starting a fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard last year was assigned to the ship after dropping out of training to become a Navy SEAL, and he was described by some fellow sailors as a person who had disdain for the Navy, according to investigators.

Details of 20-year-old Ryan Mays and the early investigation into the worst U.S. warship fire in recent memory were revealed in a search warrant unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in San Diego.