Man Arrested in Death of Homeless Man Found in Burning RV

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles police Jan. 6 announced the arrest of a man in connection with the death of a homeless man who was found dead inside an RV that was engulfed in flames in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles.

Danny Reece, 46, is set to be arraigned Feb. 1 on a murder charge stemming from the death of Jerry Isreal, whose body was discovered late Jan. 2 by Los Angeles Fire Department personnel after they put out the blaze in the recreational vehicle in the 1100 block of Browning Boulevard near Budlong Avenue.

Police said their investigation revealed that Reece had been involved in a dispute with the owner of the RV a few hours before the fire, with that dispute leading to Reece’s arrest on suspicion of a misdemeanor crime.

Jail records show that he was subsequently released from custody at 10:27 p.m. Monday, less than an hour before the fire department responded to the blaze.

Based on video evidence and witness statements, Reece was arrested again Tuesday while walking a short distance from the crime scene, according to police.

He has remained behind bars since then in lieu of $2 million bail.

An autopsy is pending to determine what caused the 65-year-old victim’s death, according to records from the coroner’s office.