Alleged arsonist arrested for sparking four fires in Santa Monica
Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of an alleged arsonist who sparked as many as four fires in Santa Monica over the weekend.
They say that Marco Antonio Rubio, 36, is suspected of igniting the blazes at multiple locations throughout the city between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, according to an Instagram post from the Santa Monica Police Department.
The fires were reported at the following locations in Santa Monica;
- 1000 block of Colorado Avenue, where police found cardboard and a pillow that had caught fire;
- Memorial Park, in the 1400 block of Olympic Boulevard, where the netting of a little league batting cage was burned;
- 1500 block of 18th Street, where a parked car was engulfed in flames;
- intersection of 16th Street and Michigan Avenue, where a mattress was set on fire.
When he was arrested later that day, near Broadway and 20th Street, they say that he had both a lighter and an aerosol canister.
"In a swift and coordinated response, the police department utilized aerial drone technology to assist in the investigation," the statement said.
Rubio remains behind bars in lieu of $75,000 bail. Police say that he has an arrest record for resisting arrest in California, as well as multiple previous arrests in Texas that include domestic violence and assault-related offenses.
No further information was provided.
