Man arrested on suspicion of setting fire to Princeton hillside

Authorities say suspect was seen earlier in the day constructing a large peace sign out of pampas grass

PRINCETON – A 58-year-old Moss Beach man was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a hillside overlooking Pillar Point Harbor in Princeton earlier this week, authorities said.

The two-acre blaze was reported near the end of the Mavericks Beach access trail about 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday. Authorities arrived to find the man lying on the ground near the fire.

The sheriff’s office said the man had been seen earlier in the day constructing a large peace sign out of pampas grass on the hillside.

The man admitted to starting the blaze, the sheriff’s office said. Multiple witnesses also reported seeing him start the fire.

The man was arrested and booked into the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City on a charge of reckless burning, the sheriff’s office said. He is being held on $10,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 5, according to jail records.