OAN Staff James Myers
9:47am – Friday, January 10, 2025
A homeless man who was using what appeared to be a “flame thrower” was arrested on suspicion of arson after being tackled by brave residents near the site of one of the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles. Ta.
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Local residents say an unidentified suspect was seen riding a bicycle around Woodland Hills on Thursday afternoon, setting fire to multiple old Christmas trees and trash cans at the same time as the Kenneth Fire started.
Renata Grinspun said KTLA She was in the backyard when she heard a car screeching to a halt and a man screaming. “Neighbors, they're trying to start a fire!” Call 911! ”
She said she saw the suspect carrying a large “propane tank or flamethrower,” which other witnesses described as a torch, and that the suspect tried to set the area on fire. .
Neighbors jumped out and cornered the man as he tried to drive away, with one man demanding, “Get off me!” as part of the video shows.
“We really came together as a group,” Grinschpan said. KTLA. “Several gentlemen surrounded him and forced him to his knees. They got zip ties and rope and we were able to arrest the resident.”
According to fox 11another witness said the suspect was “very focused on moving forward.”
“He was like, 'I can't stop.' It's not going to stop. I'm not putting this down. I'm doing this,” the witness said.
“And we say, 'We can't do that right now.'”
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) confirmed that an arson investigation has been launched.
After being asked if the Kenneth Fire was started by an arsonist, Los Angeles Police Department Senior Chief Officer Sean Dins said: KTLA “At this point, that's what we believe. We're investigating it as a crime,” he said at a press conference.
However, the Los Angeles Police Department told X late Thursday that “we cannot confirm at this time that this suspect is connected to the fire.”
Additionally, no charges appear to have been filed yet.
The Kenneth Fire started around 2:30 p.m., has burned more than 960 acres, and continues to ravage Ventura County with 0% containment as of Friday morning.
Additionally, the Los Angeles Fire Department initially issued a mandatory evacuation order for the area known as Hidden Hills, but downgraded it to a warning, Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Christine Crowley said in an update Thursday night.
At least 20 people have now been arrested for looting abandoned homes during the devastating wildfires Wednesday and Thursday morning, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
A total of five fires broke out Tuesday morning, wiping out about 30,000 acres (47 square miles) in Los Angeles County and causing widespread destruction and evacuations in the coming days.
More than 130,000 people have been evacuated due to the fire.
The largest wildfire, the Palisades Fire, burned about 20,000 acres along the coast and destroyed more than 5,000 homes and structures in its path.
The Eaton Fire grew to 13,690 acres Thursday and has destroyed or damaged between 4,000 and 5,000 homes, officials said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and under investigation.
At least 10 people have died, and the death toll is expected to rise.
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