A Twentynine Palms transient was arrested Saturday, accused of setting more than a dozen fires and assaulting Sheriff’s deputies. According to the Sheriff’s Department, Twentynine Palms firefighters were called to a vegetation fire in the wash behind the Stater Brothers grocery store about 11:15 a.m. Saturday. Fire Engineer Lee Martin said there were 10 separate fires in the area, with the largest fire about 10 feet square. Firefighters had to use 4-wheel drive brush patrol engines, including one from the Combat Center, to reach the fires. As firefighters were putting out those fires, witnesses gave Sheriff’s deputies a description of a man who had run south from the area toward the foothills. Deputies Armando Cantu, Raman Singh and Dennis Tollefson tracked the suspect, coming across eight more fires that had been set. As the deputies neared the suspect, later identified as Michael Pace, 53, he pulled out two throwing knives, one in each hand, and brandished them at the deputies. Singh approached Pace from the side, and Pace threw one of the knives at him, missing the deputy. Tollefson then grabbed Pace and struggled with him, receiving a superficial scratch on his arm from a knife, before Pace was subdued. Michael Pace was arrested for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer, and arson, booked in the Morongo Basin Jail with his bail set at $50,000.
