FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Case # 18CF1976
Date: July 17, 2018
HOMELESS MAN CHARGED WITH STARTING MULTIPLE FIRES ALONG SANTIAGO CREEK
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A homeless man was charged today with starting multiple fires along Santiago Creek within the past month.
|
Defendant |
Charges |
Maximum Sentence |
Court Date |
|
Gustavo Abarca Garcia, 26 |
Charged with the following felony counts:
|
15 years and three months in state prison |
Pre-trial hearing
July 25, 2018, 9:00 a.m.
Department C-55, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana |
Circumstances of the Case
- In July 2018, Garcia is accused of starting seven fires in forest and vegetation areas of Santiago Creek in Santa Ana and Orange.
- On July 13, 2018, the defendant is accused of setting fire to a fence on River Lane in Santa Ana. The fire spread to the home’s backyard and burned the homeowners’ patio furniture, vegetation, and trampoline, totaling over $20,000 of damage.
- The Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD), Orange Police Department, and Orange County Fire Authority investigated this case. SAPD officers located and arrested Garcia near the scene.
Prosecutor: Deputy District Attorney Claudia Alvarez, Special Prosecutions Unit