Arson suspect captured during traffic stop in Merced County, police say

A traffic stop led to the arrest of a man suspected of arson, according to authorities.

Hector Delacruz, 29, was arrested Friday at about 2:22 p.m. during a traffic stop in the 1200 block of Southport Way, according to a Gustine Police Department news release.

Police said officers stopped Delacruz, a person known to law enforcement, for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Delacruz is suspected of causing two separate fires that occurred at the same location, in the 200 block Via Borrelli on Nov. 8 and Nov. 11, according to police.

He was arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of violation of probation, arson of an inhabited structure or property, arson of property, vandalism of $400 or more, and misdemeanor reckless driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to jail records.

Police stopped short of naming Delacruz as a suspect in the burning of a Gustine police patrol vehicle from over the weekend but noted they were “not excluding Delacruz” as a possible person of interest in that case.

The police vehicle was torched early Saturday and no arrests have been made. The car was parked at the Gustine Police Department and was empty at the time, officers have said.

This story was originally published November 17, 2019 at 1:25 PM with the headline "Arson suspect captured during traffic stop in Merced County, police say."