Suspected arsonist arrested in SF's Richmond District

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The arrest comes just over a week after a fire consumed a playground at Lafayette Elementary. Police did not specify if the suspect was connected to the fire at the school.

SAN FRANCISCO - A suspected arsonist was arrested in San Francisco this week after allegedly setting a fire in a park in the city’s Richmond District.

San Francisco Police Department officers in plainclothes on patrol in the area of La Playa and Balboa streets at about 1:30 a.m on Monday saw a man "igniting objects" while walking in the park, according to a department statement.

The officers later "observed a large active working fire" in the same area, and the San Francisco Fire Department was called to the scene to extinguish the blaze.

SFPD officers canvassed the area for the man – who was later identified as 29-year-old Joseph Martinez – and placed him under arrest on suspicion of arson, possession of an incendiary device and possession of methamphetamine.

San Francisco Sheriff's Office jail records confirmed Martinez was being held in county jail without bail Wednesday, and a court date in his case had yet to be scheduled.

Fires Nearby:

The arrest comes after a pair of fires at Lafayette Elementary School in the Outer Richmond left students with damaged equipment and many parents on edge.

The first fire on May 1 destroyed items in a PTA shed, like spirit wear and carnival games that had been used by the school for years.

Then on the night of May 18, a second fire consumed the school’s playground. Rubber mats were uprooted, and the play structure was charred and warped beyond repair.

The SFPD said in a statement that it "is aware of several recent suspicious fires in the Richmond District," but did not specify if Martinez was a suspect in the fires at Lafayette Elementary School.

An investigation into the fires is ongoing, and anyone with information was asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444.