May 29, 2022 - Merced – Merced City Fire Department battled several grass fires simultaneously while the suspect continued setting fires along W. 16th Street and Hwy 99. Merced City Fire responded to the 
area for a grass fire. While fighting the blaze, the suspect continued lighting fires until being chased away by a citizen. Merced Police Officers arrived and spoke to the witness who was actively looking for the suspect. The witness told officers he had been chasing a Hispanic Male Adult, later identified as Victor Guerrero (20) after watching him set the City of Merced on fire. The witness lost track of Guerrero around the Quality Inn Motel located on Motel Drive with the help of Quality Inn employees, Merced Police Officers were able to locate the suspect in room 116. The witness positively identified Guerrero as the suspect who was “setting Merced on fire”. Thanks to the selflessness of the witness, officers were able to arrest Guerrero for Arson. Guerrero was booked at the Merced County Jail.
Case Number: 22-31357
Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Officer Rudy Hernandez at 209-388-7784 or by email at hernandezr@cityofmerced.org.
Other ways to contact us or report crime include:
For any emergency call or text 911
For non-emergency call 209-385-6912
Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725
Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.
Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.
Source: Merced Police Department
