Authorities in Corona are seeking the public’s help in locating a suspect, identified as 29-year-old Gonzalo Pelayo-Anaya from Las Vegas, NV, in connection with multiple deliberately set fires.
On January 31st, at around 6:07 A.M., the City of Corona Police Department and Corona Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire in the 700 block of Via Blairo in Corona.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the fire was intentionally set, and video evidence captured the suspect in the act, firefighters said. The vehicle, a 2004 Chevrolet, was intentionally ignited by an unknown assailant.
The suspect, described as a Hispanic male adult in his late twenties or early thirties, was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt, khaki-colored pants, a dark-colored beanie, and orange “slide” sandals. Through collaborative efforts with Corona PD and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect was identified as Gonzalo Pelayo-Anaya, firefighters said.
Fire investigators believe Pelayo-Anaya may also be linked to two other intentionally set fires on the same morning in the 1100 block of Hamner Ave. in Norco, firefighters added.