Second suspected arson arrest for Geyserville woman

A Geyserville woman out of the Sonoma County Jail on bail following her arrest for 13 suspected arson fires is back in custody, suspected of trying to start a fire in Geyserville, a Sonoma County sheriff’s sergeant said Monday.

Deputies arrested Maria Acevedo, 26, Sunday night after she was stopped while using a lighter to try and start a fire in dry grass at her father’s home, Sgt. Spencer Crum said.

She’d gone to the residence on Highway 128 in a taxi and when her father refused to pay the fare, she went outside where he found her attempting to spark a fire, Crum said.

He called for help at 9:15 p.m. and deputies arrested her on suspicion of arson and committing a felony while out of jail on bail. Concerned about public safety, her bail was set at $150,000, Crum said.

It’s her second arson-suspected arrest in less than two weeks. Acevedo was arrested Aug. 9, suspected of setting as many as 13 fires in the rural area of Stewarts Point-Skaggs Springs Road in Sonoma County’s distant and rugged north coast hills. Those fires burned a couple of acres but posed potential problems due to the extremely dry terrain and remote area, fire officials said. She was released from jail last Thursday after posting a bond for $45,000 bail.

- Randi Rossmann