A Santa Barbara resident was arrested Friday after starting two separate fires in trash cans near North Milpas Street.
Local residents saw the suspect, Miguel Plascencia, 22, start the initial fire and immediately contacted authorities. Another resident called and reported a man that matched the description of Plascencia starting a second fire near Milpas Street and attempting to set a palm tree on fire.
Plascencia fled the area and was spotted later walking through Eastside Neighborhood Park, where he was allegedly attempting to start more trash-can fires.