Sonoma County deputies arrest suspect in Cloverdale arsons

A North Bay man is being held on more than $1 million bail after he was arrested Tuesday in connection with a series of arsons in Sonoma County, authorities said.

According to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, deputies located the suspect as they were conducting a follow-up investigation along Geyser Road near the Mendocino County line around 9 a.m. As they were checking the area for a suspect wanted in a previous arson investigation, a deputy found a woman parked along the road and told her to alert authorities if she saw the suspect.

The woman called 911 about half an hour later, saying the suspect emerged from nearby brush, climbed onto the bed of her truck and refused to leave. Deputies said the man then vandalized the truck with a rock before returning to the brush.

Soon after, a vegetation fire was reported in the area where the suspect was last seen. Firefighters were called to battle the fire, while deputies, Cloverdale police and Cal Fire law enforcement responded to search for the suspect.

After what deputies described as a "large-scale" search, the suspect was taken into custody about one mile south of where the fire broke out. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Luke Deramo was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of multiple felony arsons.

Deramo's bail was set at $1.121 million after a request for a bail enhancement was granted, according to the sheriff's office.

Jail records show Deramo remains in custody, with a court appearance set for Thursday.