Arson suspect arrested after fire destroyed four Palm Desert businesses identified – MASHAHER

A 30-year-old woman was arrested and is facing charges for allegedly causing a fire in Palm Desert that destroyed four businesses Sunday morning.

The businesses, including Papa Dan’s Pizza & Pasta, D’ Coffee Bouteaque, Reverse Mortgage Works and Miracle-Ear Hearing Aid Center, were part of a strip mall that was completely destroyed by the spreading fire, which was first reported at 3:43 a.m. Sunday in the 73-000 block of Country Club Drive.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department responded to the incident and detained one suspect: Natalie Marie Radu, a 30-year-old woman. She was later arrested after Cal Fire officials investigated the fire’s origin and determined that it was “recklessly caused,” according to a Tuesday release from the department.

Radu was charged with two felonies, including recklessly causing a fire to a structure, along with three misdemeanors, and was being held at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on $100,000 bail, with a court hearing scheduled for this week.

The Sunday fire also caused six homes near the strip mall, located on Sagewood Drive and Silktree Court, to be temporarily evacuated, but the residents were able to return home safely after the fire was extinguished, according to Cal Fire.

Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Suspect arrested in fire that destroyed four Palm Desert businesses