SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego County Sheriff's Office says it has made an arrest in connection to eight different arsons in the North County area that happened between Sept. 21 and Oct. 11.
According to the press release, deputies responded to a report about a man starting a fire in the area of N. Coast Highway 101 and La Costa Avenue in Encinitas around 2:30 p.m. Friday.
The sheriff's office identified the suspect as Winston Cristobal, 27, and the Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit put him in custody on suspicion of arson, vandalism and trespassing.
Investigators believe Cristobal "maliciously" started eight different fires near two different construction sites from Sept. 21 to Oct. 11. The locations were between Highway 101 and the train tracks in Encinitas and Carlsbad.
The sheriff's office says the total damage from the fires is estimated to be more than $700,000.
The following agencies assisted the Sheriff's Bomb/Arson Unit in this case:
- Carlsbad Police Department
- California State Parks
- Encinitas Fire Department
- Carlsbad Fire Department
- FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force
