A suspect was caught using a flammable liquid to ignite a brush fire on Wednesday in Corona, California.
Officers with the Corona Police Department said a caller told them he saw a woman using a liquid to burn dry brush in the 4000 block of Prado Road at about 10:40 a.m. on Wednesday.
On Thursday afternoon, the department tweeted about the incident:
“The observant citizen watched a female burn dry brush using a flammable liquid before walking away,” a statement by the department read.
“The vigilant citizen was able to provide the suspect’s clothing description and stayed on the phone with police dispatchers to direct officers to the suspect’s location.”
Police identified the woman as 27-year-old Aysah Magierek when they found her at a nearby site where she was attempting to ignite a second brush fire.
Although the fire burned an area of about 30 feet by 60 feet, firefighters with the Corona Fire Department were able to extinguish the flames before they grew worse.
“Aysah is currently on probation for arson in Riverside County. Officers arrested Aysah for probation violations, arson, and providing false information to peace officers,” the department wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.
The department also praised the citizen for making the call and providing the information that led to Magierek’s arrest.
“The Corona Police Department thanks the observant citizen who ‘saw something and said something.’ Their diligence prevented a dangerous fire from spreading and endangering others,” the post concluded.
In June, a similar instance occurred when a woman in Oklahoma was caught firebombing her neighbor’s house as part of an ongoing conflict between the two individuals.
“Annie Durham was filmed by her own security cameras at her home in Del City on June 10 as she shot a gun through the fence, then proceeded to throw a burning towel in the same direction,” Breitbart News reported.
Authorities arrested Durham on June 17 once they discovered the footage on the security camera.
“Regardless of the extent of a conflict, arson is never a solution to resolve a conflict. The senseless actions of this person placed the lives of innocent neighbors and responding firefighters at a serious risk,” the Del City Fire Department said in a statement.