RIVERSIDE, Ca. – A Riverside woman was arrested after being caught by police lighting a tree in front of a house on fire.
On Thursday, September 5, 2019, at around 8:35 a.m. a Riverside Police officer responded to the area of Redwood Drive and 6th Street for the report of a person scavenging through the garbage receptacles. The officer did not find the person reported, but while in the area they did find Joanna Saldana, 26, of Riverside lighting a tree on fire near a home. When the offers saw her, she dropped and destroyed a glass pipe that was in her possession.
After making contact with Saldana officers learned that she was on active probation and a condition of her probation is not to possess any incendiary device. Saldana was found to have a large butane type lighter that she used to ignite the tree, police said.
She was arrested for arson, probation violation, identity theft and destroying evidence.
