A transient man is in custody after burning about an acre of open Mission Viejo terrain on Saturday.
Dwight Leonard, 38, was booked into the Men’s Central Jail facing an arson charge after he started a fire near the intersection of La Paz and Olympiad.
The incident happened around 8 p.m. when Leonard went to the open grassy area near the intersection with firewood, beer and soup. When his campfire began to burn out of control, Leonard fled the scene. He is a white, slim, balding man in his 40s and sports a gray goatee. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a dark long-sleeve shirt and jeans.
Leonard was caught carrying cans of soup and beer while walking toward a greenbelt after a witness flagged down a traffic investigator and said that he had started the fire. Leonard, who has no prior record, then admitted to starting the fire, which was contained and did not threaten any structures.
