A man was arrested Monday for allegedly starting a brush fire along the Great Redwood Trail in Ukiah, police said.
At approximately 11 a.m. Monday, Ukiah police officers responded to a report of a fire near Waugh Lane and Talmage Road. The fire was discovered by an officer along the Great Redwood Trail near Doolin Creek.
The Great Redwood Trail is a multi-use trail that connects Humboldt County with Sonoma County. Part of the trail passes through central Ukiah.
A witness told officers he saw a man fleeing the area just before officers arrived, police said. Police surveillance footage shows a man setting a fire along the path and fleeing when police arrived.
The man was identified as 29-year-old Jesus Aberto Delgado Jr., of Ukiah. Officers arrested Delgado near the 200 block of North Orchard Avenue. According to police, officers found three lighters on Delgado, including a torch-style lighter.
Delgado was booked into the Mendocino County Jail on suspicion of arson and probation violation.
“Delgado’s actions were intentional and reckless and endangered the safety of countless individuals if the fire was not extinguished by the Ukiah Valley Fire Department,” police said.
