LA Arson fires suspect headlines, pictures, info and links #CaFire #LAarson

 Updated: Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Monday morning that he was confident an arsonist suspected of setting dozens of fires over the past three days was off the streets.

Person Of Interest Detained In Connection To Rash Of Arsons
A person of interest has been detained by authorities in connection to the suspicious fires set across LA and the San Fernando Valley. Louisa Hodge reports.

Picture Of Los Angeles Arson Suspect Arrest 
Source: CBS Video

Screengrab photo: 
Video: CBS Los Angeles http://cbsloc.al/rQRLDQ

L.A. arson probe: Person of interest had 'creepy' smile, witness says


When the man police have identified as a "person of interest" in Los Angeles' spate of recent arson attacks was sitting in the back of a squad car early Monday morning, a small group of witnesses gave him "the finger"-- and he returned the gesture with a smile, one witness said.


"It was creepy," said Rick Savage, a music producer who saw the incident at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.


Savage said he was awake because he has been nervous about the string of arsons in recent days in his and other nearby neighborhoods. He said he had downloaded a police scanner application onto his iPad and went to the area at about 3:15 a.m. after hearing reports that authorities had tracked a person of interest in the case.
Rest of article at LA Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com - Link


L.A. arson probe: Police examine immigration link to case
The man appears to have been battling the U.S. government over the immigration status of a relative, but the officials said they don't know if this played any role in the case. The Los Angeles Police Department is in communication with federal immigration officials concerning the dispute, the law enforcement sources said.
LAPD detectives found materials that could have been used to set fires inside the man's minivan, the sources said.

The "person of interest" detained for questioning in a string of arson fires is a native of Germany who may have been in dispute with federal immigration officials, sources said.

Little is known about the man. Sources said the minivan had Canadian license plates but that detectives say the man is from Germany.

The man was detained near a drugstore at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard early Monday morning, according to a witness to the incident.

Several sources said the man is believed to be the same person seen in a surveillance video released by police Sunday. However, in a statement, a Los Angeles fire official stressed that "it is too early to speculate if this person is responsible for the spree of arson fires."

Rest of article at LA Times: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com - Link
LA Times Map of Arson fires: Link
LA Times Photos of LA Arson fires: Link


Man Detained in Connection With Arson Fires
A man is taken into custody on Sunset Boulevard early Monday following a rash of morning fires.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Monday morning that he was confident an arsonist suspected of setting dozens of fires over the past three days was off the streets.

A man, who authorities would identify only as a "person of interest," was detained at the intersection of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard early Monday, said LAPD Officer Sara Faden. As of late Monday morning, he had not been arrested or charged in connection with the fires.

"I feel very good that we've got the right guy," Beck told City News Service shortly before he began riding with an LAPD equestrian unit in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. "He had the right stuff in his van, and we are very confident we found our man."

The man was spotted after a sheriff's patrol, which provides law enforcement for West Hollywood, saw the man's vehicle, a black Dodge minivan with British Columbia license plates, parked outside a Rite-Aid store, according to sources, KFI News reported.

The man may have set fires around Los Angeles out of anger after immigration authorities detained the man's mother for deportation last week, according to the KFI report.

The Los Angeles Times reported an unnamed law enforcement source who said the minivan had Canadian license plates but that detectives believe the man might originally be from Germany.
Rest of article at West Hollywood patch:  Link

California Fire News 2011