Man charged for allegedly starting 10 brush fires in Cathedral City

Felony charges were filed on Tuesday against a 48-year-old man suspected of starting 10 brush fires in rapid succession 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.

Hernandez was charged with 10 counts of arson.  

Judge Burke E. Strunsky approved the increase of his bail to $1 million Tuesday morning, according to court records.   

He is slated to appear at the Larson Justice Center in Indio for his arraignment Tuesday afternoon.

Officers and fire crews responded Friday to the 68400 block of Dinah Shore Drive to reports of a man starting fires along the road, police said.   

According to authorities, several witnesses reported they saw Hernandez start three separate brush 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.   

Cathedral City police Sgt. Daniel Anes told City News Service that Hernandez had been arrested two weeks ago on suspicion of throwing a rock into Boy's Hamburgers along Ramon Road. Hernandez pleaded guilty to a vandalism charge last Wednesday and was serving a two-year probation when he was arrested Friday for allegedly starting the brush fires, authorities said.