A Superior Court judge determined last week that there is enough evidence against a former Lathrop-Manteca Fire District firefighter accused of stabbing someone outside of a Manteca bar late last year to move the matter towards trial.
Brandon Burlingame, 35, appeared before Judge Christine Eagle on Feb. 22 for a preliminary hearing in which the court determined that the charges against him – attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon – are supported by enough evidence to transfer the felony matter to the San Joaquin County Superior Courthouse in Stockton and proceed to an arraignment on information.
Burlingame was allegedly involved in an altercation outside of The Pub and Longue – located on the 1300 block of N. Main Street – on Dec. 1, 2017. When officers arrived at the scene they discovered a man suffering from a stab wound, and learned that the suspect, who had fled, was wearing a Jus Brothers Motorcycle Club patch. The Manteca Police Department gang suppression unit were able to identify Burlingame as the alleged perpetrator of the crime. He was arrested on Dec. 17 and charged with the pair of felonies.
Burlingame’s personal Facebook page shows him wearing the motorcycle club patch identified by witnesses at the scene.
After 12-years of service with the Lathrop-Manteca Fire District, Burlingame was fired from his position back in January. While administrators were unable to disclose the reason behind his termination, citing policy regarding personnel matters, Fire Chief Gene Neely noted that he had an obligation to uphold “ordinance one” when it came to matters such as the one that rocked the relatively tight-knit district.
According to Ordinance No. 1 for the organization and rules for the Manteca-Lathrop Rural County Fire Protection District, “the fire chief shall maintain, and enforce an up-to-date, comprehensive set of rules and regulations concerning the discipline, training and operation of the fire department. The Chief shall be responsible to the Directors for the personnel, morale and general efficiency of the Department.”
Burlingame also reportedly missed multiple days of work without notice while he was being held on a no-bail warrant inside of the San Joaquin County Jail. He eventually posted a $100,000 bond, and his custody status has not changed since his last court appearance.
Burlingame will next appear in court on Thursday, March 8, when he answers to the evidence-backed charges in the courtroom of Judge Ronald Northrup at the San Joaquin County Superior Courthouse in Downtown Stockton. The updated arraignment will be held in courtroom 8B.