A 29-year-old man who was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and was seen lighting things on fire in a park Monday morning was arrested, and he may be linked to multiple fires in the Outer Richmond, two of which destroyed playgrounds.
San Francisco police are investigating whether 29-year-old Joseph Martinez is the sole culprit in a string of arson fires this month in the Outer Richmond. Martinez was taken into custody Monday around 1:30 am after plain-clothed officers observed him "igniting objects" while walking around Sutro Heights park, in the area of La Playa and Balboa streets.
The officers later "observed a large active working fire," and after canvassing the area, located and arrested Martinez, and he was booked into SF County Jail on "numerous charges."
ARSON SUSPECT ARRESTED: SFPD officers working in plainclothes capacity were conducting patrol in the Richmond District following recent suspicious fires that occurred in the area.
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) May 28, 2025
Officers were around La Playa and Balboa Streets at approximately 1:30 a.m., when they observed a… pic.twitter.com/SimTqg1Ygy
As the Chronicle reports, those potential charges include arson, possession of an incendiary device with the intent to set fire to a structure or forest land, possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Martinez hasn't yet been accused of the string of arsons that have been plaguing the Outer Richmond neighborhood, but those charges could be coming next. "SFPD is aware of several recent suspicious fires in the Richmond District, and we are continuing to work with the San Francisco Fire Department in our joint Arson Task Force to investigate these cases," the department said in a statement following Martinez's arrest.
Those suspected arsons include one that occurred in the early hours of May 1 on the 4500 block of Anza Street, and that fire destroyed a shed outside Lafayette Elementary School containing event decorations and school spirit materials.
A smaller fire occurred on May 10 at a playground at Lincoln Park, causing some damage to a slide.
The same arsonist appears to have returned to Lafayette Elementary on May 18, setting a larger fire that burned and melted a play structure and surface materials. And then, once again, a fire broke out three days later at the playground for older children at Lincoln Park, destroying around 2,500 square feet of climbing equipment, slides, and surface materials.
The SF Department of Rec and Parks estimates it could take six months to restore the playground and its equipment.
Lafayette Elementary School, Lincoln Park, and Sutro Heights Park, where Martinez was arrested Monday, are all in the same 10-block radius.
Photo of the damage at Lafayette Elementary School via Hallie Albert
