LOS ANGELES – A man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he set more than 20 fires in Los Angeles this year, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Salvador Munguia, age 43, was charged and entered his plea yesterday with 19 counts of arson of property and two counts of arson of grasslands.
Deputy District Attorney Sean Carney of the Target Crimes Division said Munguia started several blazes between April and June in urban parts of Los Angeles. Two of the fires were set on dry grass, while others were started in trash cans, on piles of leaves or discarded furniture, the prosecutor said.
There was no major damage in any of the incidents.
If convicted of all counts, Munguia faces up to 20 years in state prison.
Bail was set at $1.1 million. He is scheduled to return to court July 14 for preliminary hearing setting in Department 30 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Cente
The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Fire Department, Arson & Counterterrorism Section.
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