Man charged with starting series of fires near Diamond Valley Lake

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RIVERSIDE (CNS) - A 46-year-old man accused of igniting 10 fires around Diamond Valley Lake south of Hemet, burning acreage dedicated to wildlife preservation, is slated to be arraigned Friday on arson and other charges.Noel Lopez Mejia was arrested last week following a months-long investigation by Cal Fire peace officers.Mejia is charged with 10 counts of arson and one count of grand theft.He made his initial court appearance Monday, when Riverside County Superior Court Judge O.G. Magno appointed him a public defender and set his bail at $610,000.The defendant, who is being held at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, will appear before Magno again for formal arraignment at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday morning.According to the county fire department, Mejia a
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