UPDATED – Man questioned in flurry of Hollywood fires
A law enforcement source told local radio station KFI that the suspect detained in the spate of Hollywood fires used fire-starter cubes associated with charcoal barbecues. The official went on to say that the cubes are easily purchased at drug or grocery stores, and that the suspect would drop the cubes in the area between the windshield and the hood to start the car fires.
A separate report from the same radio station states that a federal immigration agent helped lead local authorities to the suspect after seeing police distributed surveillance videos. The man identified as a foreigner is suspected of retaliating against an action last week that saw his mother be deported by the federal immigration authorities.
By: Don Weinstein
Source: KFI 640
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HOLLYWOOD, CA (BDCi) – Los Angeles police detectives have taken in a person of interest in connection with the recent spate of arson fires set mostly to cars and apartments in the greater Hollywood area.
A surveillance video (pictured below, right) shows a man in his late 20’s with a receding hairline walking alone in an underground parking garage near the area where a car fire was reported to have happened.
Early Monday morning (2nd), another 12 fires were reported, 10 in Los Angeles and 2 in West Hollywood. The number of fires set in total since last Thursday now numbers 55, and police and firefighters believe the fires set Monday are connected with the earlier ones.
Most of the fires started by the arsonist started with setting cars aflame which in turn burned adjacent homes, carports and apartments.
The investigation is being undertaken by local, county and federal authorities, and no stone is going unturned.
“They are working on hundreds of clues, interviewing dozens of witnesses, picking up countless pieces of evidence,” police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said of the detectives.
By Don Weinstein Source: Yahoo Photos courtesy of Nani Bergman and Yahoo 2 January 2012
10:24a.m. P.S.T.