Suspected Arsonist Arrested Week After Allegedly Causing $150K In Damage

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Police and Sacramento arson investigators arrested a man Tuesday for reportedly setting a home under construction on fire last week.

The Sacramento Fire Department said investigators identified Samuel Martinez as the male subject caught on video leaving the scene of the fire. He has been charged with arson of a structure,

On Sept. 30, firefighters responded to a home under construction on the 3800 block of 20th Avenue in Sacramento. The fire destroyed the entire structure, resulting in a $150,000 loss. It also spread to a nearby structure.

Arson investigators determined the fire was deliberately set inside the structure and said surveillance video shows Martinez leaving the home less than a minute before smoke and flames were seen.