Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

POMONA - A playground was incinerated April 7 and city officials are offering $10,000 leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

Firefighters and police were called to Montvue Park, 1401 Cordova St., around 11:12 p.m. Sunday. By the time the fire was extinguished, the playground suffered extensive damage, according to the Pomona Police Department.

Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call Pomona PD at 909-622-1241 or email [email protected].

Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

POMONA - A woman who allegedly lit a large fire at a Walmart Supercenter December 30 in revenge for getting caught stealing is facing a felony arson charge.

Francesca Ortiz-Garcia, 36, was found in Upland, and taken into custody January 12. She was identified after an investigation by the Los Angeles County Fire Department Arson Investigation Unit.

The incident occurred December 30, 2023, around 4:32 p.m. when a Walmart loss prevention officer stopped Garcia for allegedly trying to leave the store with items she did not pay for. She left the store after surrendering the items, but returned and ignited a fire, according to the Pomona Police Department.

“In response to the confrontation with loss prevention, the individual then lit paper products on fire. The fire triggered the store's sprinkler system, causing substantial damage to merchandise, shelving units, and the store ceiling,” according to the Pomona Police Department in a written statement.

The fire caused a projected revenue loss of $1.2 million. No one was injured. The store located at 80 Rio Rancho Rd., had to be shut down for several days.

Garcia is being held without bail at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Los Angeles. She has already appeared in Pomona Superior Court January 17 and is scheduled for an arraignment and plea February 1.