Authorities in L.A. County say the recent uptick in arson arrests was probably the result of increased public attention to common smaller fires, not the work of copycats.

Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of an alleged arsonist who sparked as many as four fires in Santa Monica over the weekend. They say that Marco Antonio Rubio, 36, is suspected of igniting the blazes at multiple locations throughout the city between 1 p.

A 34-year-old man suspected of a series of fires in Santa Monica was behind bars Wednesday. Marco Antonio Rubio is suspected in four fires that authorities said were intentionally set at multiple locations in Santa Monica between 1 and 2 p.