SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A recent arson arrest in Spring Valley is highlighting the growing role of drones in law enforcement across San Diego County.
- The FOX 5/KUSI video above explains how to prepare for a wildfireemergency
According to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, the initial incident happened just after 6:30 p.m. on May 25, when a caller reported a man setting a palm tree on fire with a lighter near the Spring Valley Swap Meet in the 6000 block of Quarry Road.
The fire quickly threatened nearby homes, prompting temporary evacuations for residents along Spring Canyon Drive.
While deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station and officers with the California Highway Patrol searched for the suspect on the ground, a deputy with the sheriff’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Program launched a drone to assist.
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Authorities say the drone located the suspect in a nearby riverbed and tracked his movements, relaying real-time information to deputies and an ASTREA (Aerial Support to Regional Enforcement Agencies) helicopter assisting from the air. The drone was later grounded to allow firefighting aircraft to safely extinguish the flames.
A short time later, deputies arrested 35-year-old Miguel Hernandez near the State Route 125 and State Route 54 interchange.
The drone video from the May 25 incident can be viewed here…