Homeless man accused of starting fires in Santa Ana

A vegetation fire in Santiago Creek in Santa Ana Friday led to the arrest of a 26-year-old homeless man previously identified for setting other fires nearby, police said.

The Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded at approximately 11:40 a.m. to a vegetation fire in Santiago Creek near 900 W. River Lane, authorities said.

As firefighters extinguished the fire, Santa Ana Police Department personnel immediately responded to the area in an attempt to locate the suspect. Officers located the suspect, identified as Gustavo Garcia, in the area at approximately 1 p.m. and detained him, authorities said.

Garcia was later booked into the Santa Ana Jail for multiple arson counts, authorities said.

The investigation is still ongoing and SAPD detectives and OCFA investigators have not ruled out the possibility of additional suspects.

Between June 10 and Friday there have been 14 incidents related to the series of fires, 12 in Santa Ana and two in Orange, authorities said.

Anyone with information on the fires is asked to call OCFA Capt. Lackey at (714) 573-6709 or SAPD Detective Castro at (714) 245-8345.