Photo: Paul Allen Aguilar
EUREKA – On the evening of December 11th a dumpster fire was reported, responded to, and extinguished on 3rd Street.
Investigators contacted surrounding businesses in order to view their surveillance footage in search of a suspect.
Before long they saw film of a man wearing tan pants, blue hooded jacket, black baseball cap and light colored shoes and ascertained that this was their suspect.
Four hours later, at 11:30, officers saw a man who matched the description on 4th Street at N Street.
Paul Allen Aguilar, a 36-year-old probationer, had drug paraphernalia in his possession. Once in custody, investigators developed probable cause that Aguilar also set the dumpster fire.
The suspect was booked on charges of arson, possession of paraphernalia, and a probation violation. He is being held on a $55,000 bail.
The EPD says, “Due to the similar nature and method of this fire to the string of recent dumpster fires, EPD Detectives will be working in collaboration with HBFD personnel to determine if Aguilar is also connected to those fires.”
