By Gina Yarbrough
Oceanside, CA–A suspect has been arrested in connection with an arson incident at the Regal Theatre in downtown Oceanside on January 29, authorities announced.
Amber Iovino, 41, was taken into custody after confessing to setting the fire. She has been booked into San Diego County Jail on charges of arson involving an inhabited structure.
According to Oceanside police, surveillance footage from the area played a key role in identifying the suspect. On February 4, investigators reviewed the video, leading to Iovino’s arrest.
The Oceanside Police Department and firefighters from Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad Fire Departments, responded to calls of a fire at 10:19 p.m. at the theatre complex at 401 Mission Avenue. When crews arrived, they discovered a fire burning inside a drainage pipe, with thick smoke billowing from the roof.
Fire crews acted quickly to contain and extinguish the flames. The blaze caused an estimated $10,000 in damage to the building.
Following an investigation by Oceanside Fire Department arson investigators and Oceanside Police Department detectives, officials determined the fire had been intentionally set, leading to Iovino’s arrest.
