Suspected Arsonist Arrested In Azusa Amid California Fires

Officers in Azusa, California have arrested a man suspected of arson following a brush fire that broke out in Pioneer Park.

As wildfires ravage Southern California, Azusa Police Department apprehended unhoused man Jose Carranza-Escobar on suspicion of igniting the fire at around 11:40pm on Friday as he was standing near the flames.

Los Angeles County Fire Department quickly responded and extinguished the blaze in Pioneer Park.

“During the investigation, Carranza-Escobar admitted to starting the fire and was arrested for arson,” said APD in a statement. “He was subsequently booked at the Azusa Police Department Jail and is currently being held in custody.”

The arrest comes after actor Brian J. White and several of his Woodland Hills neighbors apprehended an arson suspect who was carrying a blow torch near the Kenneth Fire. Ultimately, LAPD said Friday morning that they didn’t have enough evidence to arrest the person for arson; he was arrested for felony probation violation.

Fires have broken out in the Pacific Palisades, Eaton Canyon, Malibu, the Hollywood Hills and other areas around Los Angeles County amid a “life-threatening and destructive” windstorm that picked up Tuesday.

As of Saturday, at least 11 people have died in the Southern California wildfires, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has received 13 missing persons reports related to the fires.

President Joe Biden, who extended his Los Angeles trip on Wednesday to visit first responders and those affected, declared the fires a major disaster.

“Over 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate communities impacted by the Southern California wildfires,” wrote Biden on X. “At least two people have been killed. And many more are injured — including firefighters. It’s devastating. To the residents of Southern California: We are with you.”