Laguna Niguel Man Suspected of Arson in Dana Point Out on Bail

A 27-year-old man arrested while holding a lighter inside a burning commercial building in Dana Point posted bail and was released, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Laguna Niguel resident Alex Espinoza, 27, was arrested at the scene of the two-alarm fire and booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of burglary and arson for allegedly setting the fire that heavily damaged one unit of a commercial building in Dana Point and caused smoke damage to 10 others.

Espinoza was located inside the building, said sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock. “Espinoza was holding a lighter and the building was on fire.”

“When Orange County fire units came on the scene, sheriff’s deputies had already taken him into custody,” said OCFA Capt. Shane Sherwood. “Initially, the Sheriff’s Department asked the fire department to stay because they had a working burglary alarm.”

Inmate records show Espinoza made bail and was released from the Central Men’s Jail at 7 p.m. Sunday. His bail was set at $50,000 when he was arrested, Hallock said.

The fire was reported at 4:10 a.m. in the Dana Point Arts Plaza mixed office-retail building in the 34000 block of Pacific Coast Highway, Sherwood said.

The flames were put out about a half hour later by 40 firefighters, but not before the flames damaged one unit and the smoke damaged 10 units, he said.

The fire caused $300,000 worth of damage to the structure and $150,000 worth of damage to its contents, said OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi.

--City News Service

PHOTO Laguna Niguel resident Alex Espinoza, 27. Courtesy the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.