Homeless Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Near L.A.’s Kenneth Fire After Allegedly Using Flamethrower and Resident Intervention
OAN Staff James Meyers
9:47 AM – Friday, January 10, 2025
A man experiencing homelessness has been taken into custody on suspicion of arson near the site where one of the wildfires wreaking havoc in Los Angeles started, after courageous residents intervened as he appeared to wield a “flamethrower.”
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The unnamed suspect was reportedly seen riding a bicycle through Woodland Hills on Thursday afternoon, setting multiple old Christmas trees and trash bins ablaze just as the Kenneth Fire ignited, according to local residents.
Renata Grinshpun informed KTLA that she was in her backyard when she heard a car screech to a halt, followed by a man shouting, “Neighbors, he’s attempting to start a fire! Call 911!”
She spotted the suspect carrying either a big “propane tank or a flamethrower,” with other witnesses describing it as a blowtorch as he attempted to ignite the area.
Neighbors acted quickly to surround the man as he tried to escape on his bicycle, as partially captured in a video, with one man demanding, “Put it down!”
“We truly united as a community,” Grinshpun told KTLA. “Several men encircled him and brought him to his knees. They used zip ties and a rope and successfully made a citizens’ arrest.”
According to Fox 11, another eyewitness stated that the suspect seemed “really intent on proceeding.”
“He was saying, ‘I can’t halt. I can’t stop. I won’t put this down. I’m doing this,’” the witness recalled.
“And we’re like, ‘This isn’t the right time to do that.’”
In the meantime, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has confirmed that an arson investigation is underway.
When asked about the possibility of arson being linked to the Kenneth Fire, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Sean Dinse told KTLA during a press briefing, “We currently believe that’s the case. It is under investigation as a criminal act.”
However, the LAPD later stated on X late Thursday: “We CANNOT confirm any connection between this suspect and any fire at this moment.”
Furthermore, no charges appear to have been filed as of yet.
The Kenneth Fire began around 2:30 p.m. and has scorched over 960 acres with 0% containment as of Friday morning, continuing to threaten Ventura County.
Moreover, the Los Angeles Fire Department initially imposed mandatory evacuation orders for the area referred to as Hidden Hills but later reduced them to warnings, according to department chief Kristin Crowley’s update Thursday evening.
As of now, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported that at least 20 individuals were arrested Wednesday and Thursday morning for looting homes evacuated due to the devastating wildfires.
In total, five fires ignited on Tuesday morning, which have since devastated nearly 30,000 acres (47 square miles) in Los Angeles County, resulting in widespread destruction and evacuations.
Over 130,000 individuals have been urged to evacuate due to the fires.
The largest fire, the Palisades Fire, has burned close to 20,000 acres along the coast and destroyed more than 5,000 homes and structures in its path.
The Eaton Fire has now either destroyed or damaged between 4,000 and 5,000 homes as the escalating blaze surged to 13,690 acres on Thursday, according to official reports.
The cause of the fires remains unidentified and is undergoing investigation.
At least 10 lives have been lost, and the death toll is anticipated to rise.
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