SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office has charged a 19-year-old man with felony arson after firefighters extinguished a downtown vegetation fire Monday night.
The Santa Cruz Police Department arrested Panfilo Velasco Alvarez, most recently of Salinas, just a day after officers took another suspected arsonist into custody, alleged to have started a fire in a hotel elevator, police said.
On Monday, a fire engulfing a large tree and nearby bushes was reported around 8:15 p.m. in a wooded area behind the Town Clock, adjacent to the Santa Cruz Mission State Historic Park grounds and above SCOPE Park.
At one point, firefighters shared concerns that the 30-by-50-foot fire served as a threat to two homes up the hill on School Street. Within half an hour, the Santa Cruz Fire Department had knocked down the fire and police had a man in custody. Santa Cruz police Deputy Chief Jon Bush said officers stopped Velasco Alvarez, covered in water and soot, as he was leaving the scene of the fire. Velasco Alvarez allegedly admitted to starting the fire in an effort to clear brush from around his planned campsite, Bush said.
Police booked Velasco Alvarez into Santa Cruz County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail and he is scheduled to appear for his arraignment before Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Nancy de la Peña at 8:15 a.m. Thursday.
Separately, in an unrelated incident, according to Bush, officers made an arrest after recognizing a photograph circulated by the department of another suspected arsonist around 3 a.m. Monday. The Santa Cruz Fire Department had evacuated a hotel around 1 a.m. Saturday on the 100 block of Ocean Street after a fire broke out inside the business’ elevator. Later, investigators discovered security footage showing that an individual appeared to have intentionally set cardboard and debris on fire inside the elevator, according to the Santa Cruz Fire Department.
Gregorio Ayon, 45, is being held at the Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of felony arson, in addition to new charges of vandalism and resisting arrest — all of which occurred while Ayon was released from custody in a felony case. Ayon remained booked Tuesday in lieu of $100,000 bail. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office has additionally added a misdemeanor loitering charge. Ayon is also scheduled for arraignment in front of de la Peña on Wednesday.
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