Recently in arson Category
PASADENA -- Authorities jailed a local transient Thursday in connection with a series of arson fires targeting debris piles created by recent windstorms.
Juan Boch, 26, is suspected in at least two of nine intentionally set fires lit along the 210 Freeway between Los Robles Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue between Dec. 27 and Jan. 5, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
He was arrested about 9 a.m. Thursday, booked on suspicion of arson and was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, according to county booking records.
Thanks to the public's vigilance, we were able to track this suspect down," Derderian said.
Witnesses linked Boch to two of the fires, however investigators were investigating him in connection with the other seven, she said.
The fires targeted piles of debris left in the street in the wake of a massive windstorm that littered the streets of Pasadena with tree limbs and shrubbery in early December.
The fires took place during the same time period that alleged serial arsonist Harry Burkhart, 24, of Hollywood is accused of leaving a trail of destruction and fear by lighting more than 50 arson fires in the Hollywood area.
Unlike the Hollywood fires, however, "This individual was sticking to isolated debris in the streets," Derderian said, adding that the fires did not appear to pose a significant public safety threat.
"We're very fortunate that this did not escalate any further," Derderian said.
Because the fire's did not appear to endanger the public, and because of the nature of arsonists, Derderian said fire officials elected not to alert the public about the firebug as they carried out their investigation.
A motive for Boch's alleged arsons was not clear Friday.
PASADENA - A massive fire that badly damaged a Pasadena home and scorched nearby brush Saturday is being investigated as arson, authorities said.
The fire was reported about 2:15 p.m. in the 300 block of N. Oakland, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
Firefighters arrived to find a large, wood-framed, two-story house going up in flames, as well as some vegetation on the nearby 210 Freeway shoulder.
The extensive flames in the home forced firefighters to take a defensive stance as they extinguished the fire, Derderian said.
Officials determined that the cause of the blaze appeared to be arson, she said, however further details regarding how the fire may have ignited were not available early Sunday. The investigation was ongoing.
The Red Cross helped in finding temporary housing for three adults who lived at the house, officials said. None of them were injured.
A firefighter took a fall during the incident and was treated for a wrist injury, Derderian said.
Officials estimated the fire caused about $800,000 worth of damage to the house and its contents.
WEST VALINDA -- Deputies searched a neighborhood late Wednesday for a young man who set a small fire in his family's home during a dispute, then fled the scene, authorities said.
Deputies received reports just before 6 p.m. that a 21-year-old man had become involved in a dispute with his family at a home in the 13600 block of Las Vecinas Drive, in the unincorporated county area of West Valinda, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Tom Wilson said.
The young man set a small fire at the home, which firefighters quickly extinguished, he said.
Deputies continued searching the surrounding neighborhood for the suspect late Wednesday.
HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- An arsonist may have destroyed a house of worship over the weekend, however St. John Vianney Church is as strong as ever, clergy and parishioners said.
Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators have determined a massive fire that caused an estimated $8 million worth to damage to the church,1345 Turnbull Canyon Road, just after midnight Saturday was intentionally set.
"The extensive structure fire at St. John Vianney Church in Hacienda Heights has been confirmed as an act of arson," sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
"We are actively investigating to identify the suspect responsible. At this time we are not able to share any leads that we are working on."
Richard and Maria Navarro, who have been attending the church for 38 years, said they were devastated by the destruction behind the church's scorched main building.
"Whoever did this is just... there's no name for it," Maria Navarro said. "They did it to a whole community."
"(But) it is a building, and they did not destroy the church. We are the church."
Despite the outrage over the senseless destruction, parishioners and church staff also spoke of forgiveness.
"It's a very troubled person that did this, and we'll pray for him as well," Maria Navarro said.
The Navarros said they have made countless wonderful memories inside the gutted church. All three of their children received their first communion there, and one of their daughters was married there.
Masses are being held in the church's activities center, to the rear of the damaged main church building.
Father Ricky Viveros reiterated that the loss of a building will not weaken the church.
"Our parish is alive and well," he said. "We're the church. The people."
Viveros also called on the community to pray for whoever's responsible for the blaze.
While Viveros acknowledged that the fire has cause caused some broken hearts, "There's a sense that we're going to triumph over this act of evil and move forward."
St. John Vianney Church, he said, "will be rebuilt."
Viveros was one of three church officials inside on on-campus house when the fire broke out.
"What woke me up was what sounded like glass breaking," he said. "I thought someone was breaking in."
When he looked out his second-floor window, the church was already engulfed in flames.
He gathered the other two men inside the home and all three exited unscathed.
Despite preliminary official reports that one of three priests who were inside a house on the church property suffered minor smoke inhalation, Viveros said that was, luckily, not the case.
A firefighter suffered a cut to his hand while battling the blaze, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Bernard Peters said. He was treated at a local hospital and released later Saturday.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to call the sheriff's Industry Station at 626-330-3322.
PASADENA -- PASADENA -- A man was behind bars Wednesday on suspicion of trying to burn down the Pasadena Police Department, officials said.
Demetrius Newborn, 35, of Pasadena was booked on suspicion of arson, Pasadena police Lt. Rodney D. Wallace said.
Newborn is accused of entering the Pasadena Police Department lobby, 207. N. Gafield Ave., about 10 p.m. Monday, "with a small bottle of flammable liquid," the lieutenant said.
Wallace said Newborn then soaked a piece of paper in the liquid, dropped it on an upholstered chair and set in on fire.
Officers quickly stamped out the fire before it spread and arrested Newborn, he added.
A motive in the alleged arson wasn't clear Wednesday, Sgt. Marie Sell said.
He said nothing prior to starting the fire, she said, and has not been willing to speak with police.
According to Sell and Los Angeles County Superior Court records, this is the second time Newborn has been accused of trying to torch the Pasadena Police Department.
He was charged with attempted arson in late 2008 after attempting the same type of arson at the Pasadena Police Department, along with a burglary charge.
The attempted arson charge was ultimately dismissed, records show, though he was convicted of the burglary.
According to sheriff's booking records, Newborn was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Pasadena Police Department's jail. Information was not available regarding his initial court appearance.
Demetrius Newborn, 35, of Pasadena was booked on suspicion of arson, Pasadena police Lt. Rodney D. Wallace said.
Newborn is accused of entering the Pasadena Police Department lobby, 207. N. Gafield Ave., about 10 p.m. Monday, "with a small bottle of flammable liquid," the lieutenant said.
Wallace said Newborn then soaked a piece of paper in the liquid, dropped it on an upholstered chair and set in on fire.
Officers quickly stamped out the fire before it spread and arrested Newborn, he added.
A motive in the alleged arson wasn't clear Wednesday, Sgt. Marie Sell said.
He said nothing prior to starting the fire, she said, and has not been willing to speak with police.
According to Sell and Los Angeles County Superior Court records, this is the second time Newborn has been accused of trying to torch the Pasadena Police Department.
He was charged with attempted arson in late 2008 after attempting the same type of arson at the Pasadena Police Department, along with a burglary charge.
The attempted arson charge was ultimately dismissed, records show, though he was convicted of the burglary.
According to sheriff's booking records, Newborn was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Pasadena Police Department's jail. Information was not available regarding his initial court appearance.
According to the Associated Press, a 14-year-old accidentally sparked a 43-acre brush fire Sunday while smoking marijuana:
SANTA CLARITA -- One of two 14-year-old boys arrested on suspicion of arson was allegedly smoking marijuana when he accidentally started a brush fire today near Saugus that scorched 43 acres and prompted evacuations, a sheriff's sergeant said.
The fire was reported around 2 p.m. near Copper Hill Drive and Haskell Canyon Road, said Supervisor Michael Pittman of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
By 5 p.m., the fire had spread to about 43 acres and was 50 percent contained, Pittman said.
Initial reports indicated structures were threatened, and later, 31 homes were ordered evacuated, said Parker.
The evacuations were later canceled, and no structures were damaged, although the flames licked at some backyards.
The two juvenile arson suspects were arrested in the 21100 block of Altena Drive, near where the fire is believed to have started, said Capt. Mike Parker of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.
One was taken into custody on suspicion of arson and the other was arrested and then released.
Sheriff's deputies believe the fire began when one of the boys was smoking marijuana in a pipe and dropped the 8-inch barbecue iron he was using to light the pot in the dry brush, Parker said.
They apparently tried to put out the fire, but ran away when it began to spread, he said.
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Authorities Wednesday sought to charge a 13-year-old boy with starting the Morris Fire last month, which scorched more than 2,000 acres of forest north of Azusa.
Investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Arson/Explosives Detail filed a petition seeking a charge against the young suspect, Detective Tim Wainscott said. The teen's city of residency was not available.
"What we filed this morning was recklessly causing a fire," the detective said.
The prosecutor will have the discretion to look at the facts of the case and decide whether an arson charge is appropriate, he added. Both crimes are felonies.
The court was closed Wednesday and no formal charges were filed, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said. That will likely take place Thursday.
The suspect was not in custody, officials added.
The teenage suspect is not suspected of being responsible for the 3-week-old Station Fire, which officials said has scorched more than 160,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest and was 91 percent contained Wednesday.
Though the fires ignited one day apart and both have been ruled to be arson, Wainscott said there is no connection.
"This is absolutely not connected to the Station Fire in any way, shape or form," he said.
The Morris Fire started near the Morris Dam on Aug. 25 and grew to 2,168 acres before firefighters achieved full containment of the blaze on Sept. 3. At it's height, more than 1,600 firefighters battled the Morris Fire.
Wainscott said the teenage suspect was spotted in the area around the time the fire started, which was about 2:30 p.m.
Investigators interviewed him the day the fire first ignited, Wainscott said, and had considered him a "person of interest" in the fire ever since.
The detective declined to discuss how specifically authorities believe the fire started, deferring all questions to the District Attorney's office.
The prosecutor handling the case could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and Robison said no further information was available.
Investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Arson/Explosives Detail filed a petition seeking a charge against the young suspect, Detective Tim Wainscott said. The teen's city of residency was not available.
"What we filed this morning was recklessly causing a fire," the detective said.
The prosecutor will have the discretion to look at the facts of the case and decide whether an arson charge is appropriate, he added. Both crimes are felonies.
The court was closed Wednesday and no formal charges were filed, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said. That will likely take place Thursday.
The suspect was not in custody, officials added.
The teenage suspect is not suspected of being responsible for the 3-week-old Station Fire, which officials said has scorched more than 160,000 acres in the Angeles National Forest and was 91 percent contained Wednesday.
Though the fires ignited one day apart and both have been ruled to be arson, Wainscott said there is no connection.
"This is absolutely not connected to the Station Fire in any way, shape or form," he said.
The Morris Fire started near the Morris Dam on Aug. 25 and grew to 2,168 acres before firefighters achieved full containment of the blaze on Sept. 3. At it's height, more than 1,600 firefighters battled the Morris Fire.
Wainscott said the teenage suspect was spotted in the area around the time the fire started, which was about 2:30 p.m.
Investigators interviewed him the day the fire first ignited, Wainscott said, and had considered him a "person of interest" in the fire ever since.
The detective declined to discuss how specifically authorities believe the fire started, deferring all questions to the District Attorney's office.
The prosecutor handling the case could not be reached for comment Wednesday, and Robison said no further information was available.
***UPDATE: The Governor has upped the ante by offering a $100,000 reward for the arsonist responsible for the Station Fire.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich announced Friday he plans to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist responsible for the Station Fire, officials said.
After the fire was determined to be caused by arson Thursday, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau opened up a homicide investigation into the deaths of two Los Angeles County firefighters who died battling the blaze.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will vote on the motion to offer the reward Tuesday at the next scheduled meeting, Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell said in a written statement.
Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47, and Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo Quinones, 34, died Sunday when there vehicle went over the side of a cliff while fighting the Station Fire near Mt. Gleason.
A memorial service for Hall and Quinones is scheduled for Sept. 12 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.
Donations for the family's of the fallen firefighters are being accepted through the the F&A Federal Credit "Memorial Fund," at P.O. Box 30831, Los Angeles, Calif., 90030-9972, authorities said.
Donations for Hall's family can be sent to account No. 617171. Donations for Quinones' family can be sent to account No. 617172. Donations for both families can be deposited into account No. 617170.
Anyone with information about the arsonist responsible for the Station Fire is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
PHOTOS: Above: Capt. Tedmund Hall, 47. Below: Firefighter specialist Arnaldo Quinones, 34. (courtesy)
Officials determined Thursday that the 140,000-acre Station Fire was intentionally set by an arsonist.
From today's story:
Investigators said today the Station Fire, the largest fire ever in Los Angeles County history, has been ruled arson.
At an evening briefing, officials said they made the determination after a forensic examination of the origin of the fire.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's department homicide bureau has initiated a homicide investigation, officials said.
Homicide was called because two firefighters died in the blaze.
CONTRIBUTORS
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| Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank. |
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Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group. E-mail Brian. |
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