Witness reports lead to arrest of suspected arsonist

Pacifica police arrested a San Francisco man suspected of arson on Tuesday evening, the department said Wednesday.

Officers and members of the North County Fire Authority responded at 7:07 p.m. Tuesday to a report of someone intentionally starting a vegetation fire on a hillside in the area of Gypsy Hill and Sharp Park roads.

Officers found a pair of small charred sections of grass on the hillside near the intersection. Witnesses in the area alerted officers to the nearby location of the suspect, 50-year-old Carlos Henriquez Cortez, who was subsequently arrested.

No injuries were reported as a result of the hillside fires. Officers booked Henriquez Cortez into San Mateo County Jail on suspicion of arson.

Witnesses with additional information about the case are advised to contact the Pacifica Police Department at (650) 738-7314. Tips can also be given anonymously at (650) 359-4444.