Man Convicted of Setting Dangerous Fire in Transbay Terminal

Daniel Garcia ignited a fire inside San Francisco's Transbay Terminal on March 14, 2025, using a flammable liquid accelerant poured on the floor of the men's restroom on the fourth floor. Security guard Jorge Ruiz spotted the flames at 2:15 p.m. and extinguished them with a fire extinguisher within 90 seconds, averting what prosecutors called an "incredibly dangerous" incident in the crowded transit hub (; ). No one was injured, and damage was limited to minor scorching on the restroom floor. ### Who is Daniel Garcia? Daniel Garcia, 42, of San Francisco, poured an unidentified accelerant on the Transbay Terminal restroom floor before lighting it with a match, according to San Francisco Fire Department investigators. Surveillance video captured Garcia entering the restroom carrying a plastic bottle, shaking it to spread the liquid, and fleeing after igniting the fire . Garcia has prior convictions for petty theft and drug possession in San Francisco Superior Court records dating to 2019. Prosecutors from the San Francisco District Attorney's Office described Garcia as acting with "reckless disregard for human life" during the two-day trial before Judge Benjamin T. Peters. Garcia pleaded not guilty but was found guilty on May 20, 2026, of attempted arson of an occupied structure, a felony carrying a maximum three-year prison sentence . ### What is the Transbay Terminal? The Salesforce Transit Center, known as the Transbay Terminal, serves 50,000 daily commuters across buses, Caltrain, and future high-speed rail lines at First and Mission streets in downtown San Francisco. Opened in 2018 at a cost of $2.2 billion, the four-story glass structure features a rooftop park and handles peak-hour crowds exceeding 10,000 people (; ). The fire occurred during afternoon rush hour on a Thursday, when restrooms on the fourth-floor mezzanine were steps from busy ticketing areas and escalators. Assistant District Attorney Michael Menke told the jury the location amplified the risk, stating, "A fire here could have trapped hundreds in smoke and flames within seconds" . ### How did security guard Jorge Ruiz respond? Jorge Ruiz, a 15-year veteran security officer at the terminal, was patrolling the fourth floor when he smelled smoke and saw flames 4 feet high licking the restroom walls. Ruiz grabbed a 10-pound ABC fire extinguisher from a nearby station, entered the burning restroom alone, and doused the fire completely by 2:16:30 p.m., per terminal surveillance timestamps . Firefighters from Engine Company 2 arrived two minutes later and confirmed the blaze was out, with no extension to adjacent areas. Ruiz received the SFMTA Commendation Award on April 5, 2025, from transit director Jeffrey Tumlin, who called his actions "textbook heroism that saved lives" . ### What evidence led to Garcia's conviction? San Francisco Fire Arson Task Force investigators recovered the melted plastic bottle and match remnants from the restroom scene. DNA on the bottle matched Garcia's profile from a 2022 arrest database, and fingerprints on the extinguisher Ruiz used partially matched Garcia's right thumb . Trial testimony from 12 witnesses, including Ruiz and fire marshal Lt. Elena Vasquez, established Garcia as the only person entering the restroom in the 60 seconds before flames appeared. Defense attorney Carla Nguyen argued the video was inconclusive and accelerant source unproven, but jurors deliberated 4 hours before convicting on all counts May 20. ### Why did prosecutors call it 'incredibly dangerous'? Assistant DA Michael Menke emphasized the terminal's occupancy and design during closing arguments: 200-300 people used fourth-floor facilities that hour, with flammable rooftop landscaping 20 feet above. "One minute more, and this becomes a catastrophe," Menke said, citing fire modeling showing smoke reaching escalators in 45 seconds . The terminal's fire suppression system activated correctly but was unnecessary due to Ruiz's intervention. Prosecutors noted similar accelerant fires in 2023 at Powell Street BART caused $1.2 million damage and 14 injuries, per fire department data. ### What charges did Garcia face and what is his sentence? Garcia was charged with one felony count of attempted arson of an occupied structure under California Penal Code 451(a), plus misdemeanor reckless burning. The arson conviction carries 16 months to 3 years in state prison; Judge Peters deferred sentencing to July 15, 2026, for a probation report . DA Brooke Jenkins praised the verdict in a statement: "Swift action by security and investigators protected our transit riders from disaster." Garcia remains in custody at San Bruno County Jail without bail pending sentencing. ```