The Ontario Mills mall closed down Friday after multiple fires were set across several stores, prompting an arson investigation, authorities said.
Officers responded to a report of a suspicious male setting fires inside the mall at around 10:30 a.m., according to Ontario police.
“First responding crews found multiple fires in multiple locations in the same vicinity,” said the Ontario Fire Department’s Battalion Chief Scot Roeber. “All of those fires were suspicious, and all of those fires have been extinguished.”
Officers located a man inside one of the stores. He was arrested at the scene in connection with the fires. He was later identified as 28-year-old Luis Gallegos Jr., of Rancho Cucamonga.
Authorities said they had to use force to take Gallegos into custody. He was treated at the hospital and later booked into jail for felony arson.
An officer also had to be treated for some injuries.
A motive remains unclear.
It was not immediately known what stores were set on fire, but Eyewitness video showed flames inside the True Religion store.
An estimate on damages was not immediately available.
Authorities remained on the scene as the investigation continued.
The mall reopened earlier in the evening, but most of the stores are waiting until morning to resume business.
This comes just days after a massive warehouse fire broke out in Ontario. A warehouse employee was arrested on suspicion of starting that fire and was charged with several counts of felony arson.
Authorities said that as of right now there is no connection between the Ontario Mills fire and the warehouse fire.
This is a breaking news story. More details will be added as more information becomes available.
