Some alert citizens are being credited with helping to arrest a man accused of being a serial arsonist on the South Coast.
Santa Barbara Police received 911 calls Saturday from people reporting they had seen someone lighting fires in trash cans on Milpas Street. Someone then reported seeing a man trying to light a palm tree on fire on East Montecito Street.
An ambulance crew saw a man matching the general description of the arsonist in Eastside Park. They reported seeing him trying to light trash cans on fire in the park. They watched him until police arrived.
Michael Plascencia was arrested on two counts of arson and two counts of attempted arson. The 22-year-old Santa Barbara man is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
No serious damage was reported from the fires.
