Man arrested for allegedly committing arson of abandoned structure

IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Imperial police arrested a 45-year-old man after three units in an abandoned structure in the area of LaBrucherie Road, south of Aten Road were on fire.

The Imperial Police Department responded to the fire in the abandoned La Fuente subdivision and found the units to be in flames on Wednesday morning.

The person who reported the fire said they saw a man wearing a white tank top and black shorts walking away from the structure, south on LaBrucherie Road right after the fire started.

Imperial police said Sergeant Hernandez contacted a man in the Walmart parking lot who was known to be around the area and identified him as the 45-year-old man.

The man was taken into custody for investigation of arson and taken to the Imperial Police Department for questioning.

During an interview with one of the detectives. the 45-year-old man admitted to being in one of the abandoned structures when the fire started.

Imperial police said the man was later booked into Imperial County Jail on one count of Arson, and one count of Criminal Trespassing.