Man Pleads Not Guilty To Arson In Sorrento Valley Wildfire

SAN DIEGO, CA — The man suspected of starting the Sorrento Fire that swept through Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, blackening more than 130 acres, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a felony arson count.

Brandon James Glasgo, 30, is accused of setting the blaze that sparked Sunday, east of Interstate 5, near Sorrento Valley Boulevard, forcing evacuations and road closures.

Firefighters halted the spread of the fire at about 138 acres roughly 5 1/2 hours after it broke out. No structural damage or injuries have been reported. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department reported Tuesday evening that the fire was 75% contained.

Glasgo was arrested after a resident spotted him walking out of an open, brushy area in the 10800 block of Vista Sorrento Parkway as the flames began spreading, according to police.

At his arraignment Wednesday afternoon, Deputy District Attorney Jacob Carbajal said Glasgo admitted to police that he started the fire.

Glasgo allegedly told investigators that he got into an altercation with a bicyclist along the trail, which angered him and led him to set fire to a large tumbleweed, the prosecutor said.

He later apologized for setting the fire, though Carbajal claimed he laughed and said he maybe should have tried stamping the fire out after being told it had grown to more than 130 acres.

He later allegedly pointed out the fire's origin point on a map, which Carbajal said matched the spot investigators determined to be the location where the fire started.

Glasgo's bail is set at $75,000. If released, he must abide by conditions that include GPS monitoring and a prohibition against possessing incendiary devices.

The arson count carries a maximum possible sentence of six years in state prison.

— City News Service