A 20-year-old man was arrested Friday on suspicion of arson after officials responded to a brush fire in North County, officials said.
Neema Ahmadpour is accused of setting the fire around 11:30 a.m. Friday near the Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve in De Luz, just north of Fallbrook, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said.
Officials said Ahmadpour threatened a park ranger with a knife. Sheriff’s deputies said they used force during the arrest after Ahmadpour was “uncooperative and became combative with deputies.”
Sheriff’s deputies were unable to put out the brush fire on their own and called in firefighters with Cal Fire, San Diego County Fire and the North County Fire Protection districts. The fire burned one acre before it was extinguished and did not threaten any homes.
Cal Fire arson investigators along with Sheriff’s deputies searched Ahmadpour’s car and said they found multiple, ready to use Molotov cocktails. Arson investigators determined after collecting evidence from the scene that Ahmadpour was involved in starting at least two other brush fires in San Diego County, the sheriff’s office said.
Ahmadpour was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of multiple counts of arson, possession of explosives and violently resisting arrest, officials said.
