LAGUNA HILLS, Ca. (March 31, 2021): At approximately 10:35 a.m. deputies responded to a disturbance call at the 27000 block of Greenfield Drive in the city of Laguna Hills. It was reported that an adult man had thrown a boat propeller through the windshield of a vehicle in the neighborhood.
Upon arrival, deputies attempted to make contact with the man, later identified as Richard Quintilone, 49, but he retreated into the residence. Soon after, deputies observed fire inside the residence. Quintilone refused commands to exit, and deputies entered the residence and attempted to locate him but were unsuccessful. Nearby homes were evacuated.
The Orange County Fire Authority arrived to suppress the fire and worked collaboratively with Sheriff’s deputies as they assessed the whereabouts of Quintilone. As it was originally believed that Quintilone was barricaded inside the residence, firefighters worked with deputies to safely contain the fire and stop it from spreading to nearby homes.
At approximately 12:20 p.m. neighbors on a nearby street alerted deputies that Quintilone was at their residence. He was arrested without incident and booked into Orange County Jail for felony arson.
The joint investigation into this incident is ongoing.
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