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Ruben Montes, a 29-year-old resident of Baldwin Park, was arrested on Sunday (January 12) for arson in Irwindale, California. Firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department caught Montes actively lighting fires near Rivergrade Road and the 605 Freeway, approximately 16 miles from Altadena, where the deadly Eaton Fire continues to burn.
According to the Irwindale Police Department, Montes was detained and subsequently arrested after being observed by firefighters at the scene of a small brush fire. The arrest occurred as the Los Angeles region remains on high alert due to several large wildfires, including the Eaton Fire, which has claimed at least 16 lives and burned over 14,000 acres.
While Montes was booked at the West Covina Jail on $75,000 bail, officials have not confirmed whether he is linked to the larger fires in the area.
The Palisades Fire, the largest of the active fires, has burned more than 23,000 acres and was only 13 percent contained as of Sunday night. The fires have forced approximately 150,000 people to evacuate and have destroyed thousands of homes.
Investigators are still determining the causes of the major fires, with no current evidence linking them to arson.