KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
A Lancaster man was arrested Thursday afternoon for allegedly starting the Towsley Fire, which burned a little over 50 acres in the Newhall area.
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Zachary Garcia, 20, reportedly was engaged in a paintball game with friends at the Field of Fire Paintball Adventures, and used a smoke bomb as a diversionary tactic, which started the fire.
Much of the field where Garcia was reportedly engaged in the paintball competition ended up scorched in the resulting blaze.
He was arrested on a misdemeanor 452(d) charge in the state’s Penal Code, which, according to FindLaw, covers:
(d) Unlawfully causing a fire of property is a misdemeanor. For purposes of this paragraph, unlawfully causing a fire of property does not include one burning or causing to be burned his own personal property unless there is injury to another person or to another person’s structure, forest land or property.
Garcia is still in custody in lieu of $5,000 bail, according to Sheriff’s Station records. He was expected to be in court sometime Friday, per LASD inmate records.
What kind of idiot would use a smoke bomb in dry brush on the side of a hillside? Is there a law about being a dumbsh@t on the books? The paint ball field owner bears some responsibility as well if the don’t actively discouage or prevent these kinds of things from happening. Geez!
So agree. Sometimes accidents are just accidents, even by dumba$$’s
Well kind of idiot doesn’t put a burn ban on the state