June 30--A man wearing a green leprechaun-style hat was arrested on allegations he started a brush fire in San Rafael after being bounced from a wedding reception he crashed.
Juan Osmin Duran, who turns 40 on Tuesday, was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of arson. His bail was set at $50,000.
The incident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Elks Lodge at 1312 Mission Ave. Police said a man tried to get into a wedding reception and became belligerent when the staff evicted him.
A manager saw the man flick a lighter or lit matches into the dry brush on his way off the property, said San Rafael police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher.
The fire burned about 18 square feet at the base of a tree and was not close to any buildings, said San Rafael fire Chief Christopher Gray.
Police found the suspect outside a Fourth Street bar about two blocks away, still wearing the distinctive tall green top hat, Rohrbacher said. The suspect was identified as Duran and booked.
The district attorney's office filed charges Monday.
Copyright 2014 - The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.
