Man Arrested On Suspicion of Starting 10 Fires in Cathedral City

CATHEDRAL CITY (CNS) – A 48-year-old man was arrested today for allegedly starting 10 fires in Cathedral City. Jose Hernandez was arrested Friday morning and booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio on suspicion of arson, according to the Cathedral City Police Department. He was being held on $350,000 bail. Officers and fire crews responded to the 68400 block of Dinah Shore Drive to reports of a man starting fires along the road, police said. Several witnesses reported that they saw Hernandez start three separate fires before he went under the Dinah Shore Bridge, where police say he allegedly started seven additional brush fires. All the fires were extinguished by Cathedral City fire crews and police say there was no threat to any structures or personal property. Sgt. Daniel Anes told City News Service that Hernandez was arrested two weeks ago for throwing a rock into Boy’s Hamburgers along Ramon Road in Cathedral City. Hernandez pleaded guilty to the vandalism charge last Wednesday and was serving a two-year probation when he was arrested Friday for allegedly starting the fires. Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc. CNS-07-15-2022 16:44