OCEANSIDE–Authorities identified the suspect accused of starting a brush fire June 13 in Oceanside.
The suspect, 35-year-old Jose Antonio Torres, was arrested on June 16 at 2:30 p.m. after an extensive investigation by Oceanside police and fire departments. He was booked on an arson charge.
On Tuesday afternoon, Oceanside police received a call to cover Oceanside fire department on a brush fire north of the Oceanside Golf Course in the 800 block of Douglas Drive and bordering Camp Pendleton.
Witnesses reported a suspicious person running from the area of the fire up a hill in the area of Camp Pendleton. The person, later identified as Torres, was detained by Camp Pendleton officials from the Provost Marshalls Office and the Naval Criminal Investigations Unit. Torres was later placed in custody on a parole hold out of Los Angeles for a previous assault charge.
Firefighters from North County battled the brush fire that broke out near Camp Pendleton and spread behind Marine Memorial Golf Course in Oceanside.
The 50-acre blaze forced the closure of Douglas Drive, North River Road and Vandegrift Boulevard. No homes were evacuated.
Firefighters were able to contain the fire just after 5 p.m.