Calexico residents on edge after suspected arsonist sets business on fire

Burglaries becoming more frequent per Calexico Police Department - News 11's Wiley Jawhary reports

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Calexico business owners are calling on the city to provide more security after an arsonist broke into a fashion store and set it on fire.

Calexico experienced multiple fires on Monday and the Calexico Police Department arrested a man who they believe broke into Linda's Fashion, burglarized the store, and set it on fire.

According to the Calexico Police Officers Association, (CPOA) the suspect has been booked into Imperial County Jail on multiple charges.

Business owners in Downtown Calexico are anxious to go to work.

Karla Prada owns a clothing store next to Linda's Fashion. She saw the incident and says the city needs more security.

"We don't feel safe here, we need more security so we can work, my store has been broken into three times," she said.

Calexico police chief Gonzalo Gerardo says this is happening more frequently, and the challenge is keeping criminals behind bars.

“We had to get a bail by the judge and the judge signed the bail so he is still in custody,” he said.

The suspect was booked into the Imperial County Jail and is being held on a $55,000 bail.

 Gerardo says if bail wasn’t approved by the court, this suspect would have already been back on the streets.