LOS ANGELES, CA – A 45-year-old man accused of setting four brush fires at Galster Wilderness Park in West Covina between May and August now faces four felony arson charges, according to the West Covina Fire Department.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed the charges against Christopher Joseph Ramirez on Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. He was arrested Friday, Oct. 9, and booked at the West Covina Police Department Jail with bail set at $1 million.
The fire department said the four fires burned about 20 acres of the 40-acre park, which is at 1620 E. Aroma Drive. It said the fires threatened nearby hillside neighborhoods.
An arrest is not a conviction, and the allegations remain subject to the criminal court process.
Arrest made without incident
The West Covina Police Department said Ramirez was arrested without incident on Friday. He was booked on four felony counts of arson involving property and forest land.
According to the fire department, the arrest came during a multi-agency operation. Police said he was held on $1 million bail pending further legal proceedings.
The fire department said the charges are the result of an extensive criminal investigation led by its Arson Unit, which identified Ramirez as the suspect in connection with the fires.
Four fires burned about 20 acres
The fire department said the four fires burned about 20 acres of the 40-acre park between May and August of this year. Police said each fire burned several acres and posed a significant threat to nearby residential areas.
Additional resources came from fire departments across the San Gabriel Valley and neighboring communities, the fire department said. Aerial firefighting aircraft were among them.
Firefighters worked in steep terrain, dense vegetation and high temperatures, according to the department. Police said crews quickly contained and extinguished the fires and kept them from spreading to nearby homes.
June 13 fire prompted evacuations
One of the fires at the park started on Saturday, June 13, at about 5:30 p.m. on East Aroma Drive, east of Galster Park. The Los Angeles County Fire Department described it as a 15-acre brush fire.
Residents of Castle Rock Court and Westridge Road were ordered to evacuate, and the evacuation was later lifted. According to initial reports, the order came at 7:19 p.m.
The West Covina Fire Department, West Covina police and the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded. According to initial reports, the county department sent 83 personnel and one helicopter to help. No injuries or structure damage were reported in that fire.
Several agencies joined the investigation
West Covina Police Department detectives worked with the Arson Unit on the case. The investigation also involved the Verdugo Fire Investigators Task Force, the Area E Regional Arson and Explosives Task Force and the South Bay Arson Task Force.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also took part, according to the fire department.
Charges filed in Superior Court
The District Attorney’s Office formally filed four felony arson counts against Ramirez on Tuesday. The charges cover the four fires at Galster Wilderness Park.
His first court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday in West Covina, according to police. The court has not yet publicly released the next steps in the case, and no plea has been reported.
Arson arrests across California
State fire investigators also make arson arrests. CAL FIRE’s law enforcement page lists 152 arson arrests by its officers in 2024 and 151 in 2025. CAL FIRE law enforcement officers are peace officers who investigate fires and make arrests for arson.
CAL FIRE also operates an anonymous arson hotline at 1-800-468-4408 for people who suspect a fire was set deliberately.
Information line and anonymous tips
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call West Covina police at 626-939-8500. Tips can also be given anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Ramirez held on $1 million bail
Ramirez was held on $1 million bail after his arrest, and the four felony arson counts are now pending in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The fire department said the Arson Unit led the investigation that identified him as the suspect, and the case will proceed through the court process.
