A man who was detained by civilians on suspicion of arson has instead been arrested for a felony probation violation due to inadequate evidence to make the arrest on arson, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
“After the interview and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that was present, they made the determination that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion of arson, and therefore this person was arrested on a felony probation violation,” LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said at a press conference Friday. The investigation remains ongoing.
On Thursday, residents of the area detained a man and called police around 4:30 p.m. They held the man until police arrived, saying the man was attempting to light a fire in the community of Woodland Hills, north of Topanga State Park, according to authorities.
The Kenneth Fire started at the border separating Los Angeles’s West Hills and Ventura County.
LAPD officers in the Topanga area responded and took the suspect into custody. Since the man was suspected of arson, the LAPD Major Crimes Division responded, along with Ventura County Sheriff deputies, who are leading the Kenneth Fire investigation. Law enforcement interviewed this suspect once they were on scene and determined there wasn’t enough evidence to arrest the man for arson.
At Friday’s press conference, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman highlighted the crimes law enforcement have seen taking place amid the chaos engulfing Los Angeles, including arson. He gave stern warnings to those looking to take advantage of the situation and commit crimes.
“If it is determined that there is a man-made and intentional setting of any of the fires involved in this situation, the people who committed this arson will be arrested, they will be prosecuted, and they will be punished to the full extent of the law,” he said.
Hochman said that although law enforcement and firefighters are currently focused on preserving life and property, they will soon investigate the causes of the fires and prosecute anyone guilty of arson.
The second type of crime authorities are warning Los Angelenos against is curfew violations. Hochman says violators will be arrested and prosecuted. This is important to protect the homes of those who have been ordered to evacuate. The third type of crime authorities are seeing is looting.
“Looting is a despicable crime,” said Hochman. “For the people who have already been arrested, please know this is not going to end well. You will be punished to the full extent of the law.”
He also warned against citizens sending drones into fire zones, warning that they too will be prosecuted.
Law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office will also be monitoring and prosecuting internet scams.
“We’re seeing people being targeted in GoFundMe scams by people who are trying to entice people to give money to people who have suffered when the people who are arranging this GoFundMe page are nothing but scammers,” Hochman said, noting that he anticipates insurance and government benefit scams to rise in the aftermath of the fires.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said that as of Friday morning, there are more than 500 deputies assisting with evacuations, traffic control, and security patrols in evacuated areas, and have increased their presence to deter any burglary or looting activity that may occur.
A curfew order remains in place in the area of the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire in the mandatory evacuation zones from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Friday night through Saturday morning. Luna said anyone found in violation of this curfew will be subject to arrest for a misdemeanor offense. A conviction may result in a fine of up to $1,000 or jail time.
“I’ve given direction that if somebody is caught doing this, they are not going to get cited and released, they’re going to get booked,” said Luna. “We are not screwing around with this. We don’t want anyone taking advantage of our residents that have already been victimized.”
