Arson suspect arrested after six fires burn quarter-acre of vegetation beneath State Route 125 in Bonita

Fire crews contained multiple ignition points under a major highway corridor as deputies located a suspect nearby

A man was taken into custody Sunday after a series of small vegetation fires burned roughly one-quarter acre beneath State Route 125 in Bonita, an incident that prompted a multi-agency response and an ongoing arson investigation.

Deputies responded around 11:00 a.m. on January 18, 2026, to reports of multiple fires in the 5700 block of Quarry Road, near the junction of State Route 125 and State Route 54. Fire crews arrived quickly and extinguished the fires before they expanded beyond the area beneath the highway.

Authorities documented six separate fire locations within close proximity. Investigators have not publicly identified a cause for the fires, and the arson investigation remains open.

Fire investigators documented six distinct fire locations in the area, with approximately one-quarter acre of vegetation burned beneath the highway.

Search effort led to an arrest near the fire area

Deputies from two Sheriff’s stations responded and, with help from witnesses and an aerial unit, located a male suspect hiding in nearby bushes. A records check determined the suspect had an extensive criminal history and was on probation at the time of the incident.

During a probation compliance search, deputies reported finding items that included narcotics paraphernalia, a torch lighter, an expandable baton, and numerous credit cards and identification cards that did not belong to the suspect.

• Location: 5700 block of Quarry Road, Bonita
• Nearby corridors: State Route 125 and State Route 54
• Documented fire sites: six
• Area burned: about one-quarter acre of vegetation beneath SR-125

Charges filed; arson determination not yet finalized publicly

The suspect was arrested on narcotics, weapons, and identity-theft-related charges and booked into custody. Authorities have not announced an arson charge stemming from the Bonita fires as of Sunday night, and investigators have not released the suspect’s name or additional case details such as whether accelerants were detected or whether ignition devices were recovered at the fire scenes.

Bomb and arson detectives responded to document the fire locations and continue investigating how the fires started, including whether the ignition points were intentionally set and whether additional suspects or related incidents may be involved.

Authorities asked anyone with information related to the fires to contact the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.