UPDATED, 10:30 p.m.: Glendora Police have released the name of the man arrested on suspicion of igniting the three spot fires in Glendora early Wednesday.
David Firestine, 33, was arrested and booked on suspicion of arson. Firestine’s bail has been set at $75,000 and is awaiting his initial court appearance scheduled for Friday, May 15 at the West Covina Courthouse.
A quick search of county booking records shows Firestine has had run-ins with law enforcement in the past, recently with Azusa Police, when he was arrested May 4, April 26 and January 28 on unspecified misdemeanor charges. Firestine was also arrested February 11 by San Dimas Sheriff’s detectives on a misdemeanor charge.
Firestine was also arrested May 7, 2014 after throwing rocks through the windows of a furniture store in the 900 block of West Foothill Boulevard in Azusa. He caused approximately $6,000 in damage, Azusa Police said in a written statement.
PREVIOUSLY: Azusa Police announced via Twitter the arrest of a person of interest possibly connected to Glendora’s early-morning fires.
Both Glendora and Azusa Police have been searching for the subject since he ran from officers around 11:49 a.m. near Sierra Madre and Viewcrest Drive in Azusa close to the Glendora border. The subject matched the description of the suspicious subject seen in the hills before the fires ignited.
Azusa Police announced the arrest at 2:29 p.m.
Photo from Azusa PD Twitter feed.
Lt. Matt Williams of Glendora Police wanted to emphasize that the man described in our earlier story is not necessarily a suspect, but a person of interest who may have information regarding the fires.
“We don’t know what his involvement is,” Williams said.
Much of the hillside terrain where the man was hiding is replete with thick brush and is very steep. Police initially ended the search, but kept officers roaming in the area and eventually located the person of interest, Williams said.
Officers earlier during the search began compiling possible names of subjects known to frequent the area in an effort to narrow their search for the fleeing subject.
Booking information was not yet available.
