Suspect arrested in Laguna Beach brush fire

A Laguna Beach man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of arson in connection with a brush fire last month on a hillside above Laguna Canyon Road, police said.

Thomas Dylan Richeson, 27, was taken into custody by Laguna Beach police detectives and Fire Department arson investigators.

Authorities responded to report of the fire at 6:16 p.m. Nov. 18 behind a structure at 20652 Laguna Canyon Road.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze within two hours after it had burned more than an acre of brush.

A witness told investigators about a man seen running from the area shortly after the fire started, police said. Investigators used video footage from a nearby camera to identify the suspect, police said.

Richeson was booked into Orange County Jail with bail set at $20,000, according to jail records.