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Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck said the key break in the L.A. serial arson investigation came Saturday night when federal officials recognized a "person of interest" in the fires.
That night, officials had distributed a video of a man walking near a car fire at the Hollywood & Highland Center parking structure. Beck said unnamed federal officials recognized the man and gave police information about him.
Booking records identified the man as Harry Burkhart, 24, a Hollywood area resident. He is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Inmate Reception Center in downtown L.A.
''He is the most perilous arsonist in Los Angeles District that I can recall,'' Sheriff Lee Baca said at an sundown news conference.
N o new arsons have been reported since Burkhart was taken into custody, but police stressed that the investigation was ongoing.
The fires have caused an estimated $2 million in hurt, authorities said.
MAP: Arson fires
At a news conference Monday, officials said the arson task force is sifting through about 100 clues in the case.
Beck said : "I feel very excellent that we've got the right guy. [The suspect] had the right stuff in his van, and we are confident in the arrest.''
At the news conference Monday sundown, Beck stressed the investigation was still ongoing and that it could take some time to present the case to prosecutors. “We are confident in our investigation, but we have a long way to go,” he said.
Beck, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others praised the joint task force probing the more than 50 fires over four days.
PHOTOS: Arson fires
Burkhart appears to have been battling the U.S. government over the immigration status of his mother.
The Los Angeles Police Department is in communication with federal immigration officials concerning the dispute, the law enforcement sources said.
LAPD detectives found materials inside Burkhart's minivan that could have been used to set fires, the sources said. All of the sources spoke on the condition of anonymity since the case is ongoing.
FULL COVERAGE: Arson fires
The man was detained near a drugstore at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard early Monday morning, according to a witness to the incident.
Several sources said Burkhart is believed to be the same person seen in a surveillance video released by police Sunday, when authorities pointed to the individual as a "person of interest" in the case.
The suspect was taken into custody following a morning of fires across the Hollywood area Monday. Eleven fires were reported in two hours, beginning at 1:30 a.m.; most were burning cars and carports in apartment building complexes, police and fire officials said.
A total of 53 "fires of concern" have broken out in the Los Angeles area since Friday, possibly the work of one arsonist.
Of those fires, 45 occurred in the Los Angeles area, another nine were in West Hollywood, and one was in Burbank, Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, wrote in a post on LAFD Alert, the department's blog.
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–Richard Winton
Photo: Los Angeles police examine a vehicle taken into custody when a "person of interest" was detained in connection with a string of arson fires. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
Image: A map shows the locations of fires possibly linked to the recent arsons. Credit: Los Angeles Times
A drive-by shooting Monday afternoon in South Los Angeles left a teenager dead and two others, including a child, offended, authorities said.
The shooting occurred near the corner of 46th Street and McKinley Avenue in the South Park section of South Los Angeles shortly before 3 p.m., said LAPD Officer Sara Faden.
A 19-year-ancient man was struck multiple times in the upper body and died at the scene. A 57-year-ancient man was shot in the shoulder, and an 11-year-ancient girl was shot in the foot. Both were taken to a hospital where they were listed in established condition, Faden said.
Witnesses said the unknown suspect or suspects were in a gray sedan, Faden said.
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–Garrett Therolf
Los Angeles police on Monday afternoon booked a 24-year-ancient man on suspicion of arson after an L.A. District sheriff's deputy detained him in connection with a string of more than 50 deliberately set fires
Booking records identified the man as Harry Burkhart, a Hollywood area resident. He is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Inmate Reception Center in downtown L.A.
N o new arsons have been reported since the suspect was taken into custody, but police stressed that the investigation was ongoing.
The fires have caused $2 million in hurt, authorities said.
MAP: Arson fires
At a news conference Monday, officials said the arson task force is sifting through about 100 clues in the case.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said : "I feel very excellent that we've got the right guy. [The suspect] had the right stuff in his van, and we are confident in the arrest.''
According to law enforcement sources, Burkhart has been involved in a dispute with federal immigration officials.
PHOTOS: Arson fires
Burkhart appears to have been battling the U.S. government over the immigration status of his mother.
The Los Angeles Police Department is in communication with federal immigration officials concerning the dispute, the law enforcement sources said.
LAPD detectives found materials inside Burkhart's minivan that could have been used to set fires, the sources said. All of the sources spoke on the condition of anonymity since the case is ongoing.
FULL COVERAGE: Arson fires
The man was detained near a drugstore at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard early Monday morning, according to a witness to the incident.
Several sources said Burkhart is believed to be the same person seen in a surveillance video released by police Sunday, when authorities pointed to the individual as a "person of interest" in the case.
The suspect was taken into custody following a morning of arson fires across the Hollywood area Monday. Eleven fires were reported in two hours, beginning at 1:30 a.m.; most were burning cars and carports in apartment building complexes, police and fire officials said.
A total of 53 "fires of concern" have broken out in the Los Angeles area since Friday, possibly the work of one arsonist.
Of those fires, 45 occurred in the Los Angeles area, another nine were in West Hollywood, and one was in Burbank, Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, wrote in a post on LAFD Alert, the department's blog.
RELATED:
FULL COVERAGE: Arson fires
Los Angeles arson fires char holiday spirit
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– Andrew Blankstein, Richard Winton and Ari Bloomekatz
Photo: Los Angeles police examine a vehicle taken into custody when a "person of interest" was detained in connection with a string of arson fires. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
Image: A map shows the locations of fires possibly linked to the recent arson spree. Credit: Los Angeles Times
MORE: Westside | Orange District | San Fernando Valley | Inland Empire | Ventura | San Diego
Pleased New Year: A. Garcia used an iPhone 4s camera to capture a scene from a New Year’s Eve dinner have fun in Los Angeles. "I wanted to take a photo that captures the beauty of my ancient Leica alongside the festive and joyous mood of New Year's Eve," Garcia said.
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– Jenn Harris
chirrup.com/jenn_harris_
Every day, we're featuring photos of Southern California submitted by readers. Share your photos on our Flickr page or reader submission gallery. Follow us on Chirrup or visit our Facebook page for more on this photo series.
Two young Navy officers and the sister of one of them were among the victims of a New Year's Eve shooting in Coronado, according to people briefed on the investigation.
Lt. David Reis, 25, and his sister Karen, 24, were among those killed. The name of the following Navy officer and of the fourth person killed remain undisclosed.
Reis was a pilot in training at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. His sister was a graduate of UC San Diego.
Their bodies were found in an apartment building after neighbors reported hearing gunshots about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
One of the four bodies was found in the doorway and the other three inside the apartment building, according to the San Diego District Sheriff's Department homicide investigators.
No motive for the shooting has been revealed, but homicide Lt. Larry Nesbit said there are no suspects considered at large.
–Tony Perry in San Diego
 Authorities searched Monday for a 51-year-ancient prisoner who escaped from Donovan State Prison near San Diego by pouring away in a fire truck, officials said.
Thomas Francis Kelley, who had two years remaining on a parole violation sentence on convictions for car theft and drunk pouring, disappeared New Year's Day after being assigned to firefighting duty.
The truck was later found in Spring Valley east of San Diego. The prison is in Otay Mesa, south of San Diego.
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Rose Parade 2012: Sunny skies, smaller crowds and an Occupy development
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– Tony Perry in San Diego
Photo: Thomas Francis Kelley. Credit: Donovan State Prison
Federal and local authorities were working to gather more about a man arrested Monday in connected with more than 50 fires that broke out over the last few days.
Law enforcement sources said the man, who has not been identified, had lived for some time in Germany before coming to Los Angeles.
It remains unclear what the motive for the fires is and exactly how law enforcement authorities came to focus on him. The sources said that federal authorities had provided information that helped spot the man as a the makings "person of interest" in the case.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officials plot to book the man on arson charges later Monday afternoon.
PHOTOS: Arson fires
The man may have been battling the U.S. government over the immigration status of a relative, but the officials said they don't know if this played any role in the arson case. The LAPD is in communication with federal immigration officials concerning the dispute, said the law enforcement sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity since the case was ongoing.
N o new fires have been reported since the man was taken into custody, but police stressed that the investigation is ongoing.
The fires have caused an estimated $2 million in hurt, authorities said.
MAP: Arson fires
At a news conference Monday, officials said the arson task force is sifting through about 100 clues in the case.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, interviewed at the Rose Parade by City News Service, said: "I feel very excellent that we've got the right guy. [The suspect] had the right stuff in his van, and we are very confident we found our man.''
LAPD detectives found materials inside the man's minivan that could have been used to set fires, the sources said.
FULL COVERAGE: Arson fires
Small is known about the suspect. Sources said the minivan had Canadian license plates but that detectives say the man is from Germany.
The man was detained near a drugstore at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard early Monday morning, according to a witness to the incident.
Several sources said the man is believed to be the same person seen in a surveillance video released by police Sunday, when authorities pointed to the individual as a "person of interest" in the case.
The man was taken into custody after a morning of fires across the Hollywood area Monday. Eleven fires were reported in two hours beginning at 1:30 a.m.; most were burning cars and fires in carports in apartment building complexes, police and fire officials said.
A total of 55 "fires of concern" have broken out in the Los Angeles area since Friday, possibly the work of one arsonist, a fire official said early Monday.
Of those fires, 45 occurred in the Los Angeles area, another nine were in West Hollywood, and one was in Burbank, Erik Scott, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, wrote in a post on LAFD Alert, the department's blog.
At a news conference Sunday morning, officials said many of those fires were also started in cars and in some cases spread to carports, garages and apartments.
They declined to say what evidence tied the cases together or to give more information about how the fires were set. At the time, law enforcement sources told The Times that detectives were concerned that releasing more information could prompt the arsonist or arsonists to exchange tactics and could encourage copycats.
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– Richard Winton, Joel Rubin and Andrew Blankstein
Photo: Los Angeles police examine a vehicle taken into custody when a "person of interest" was detained in connection with a string of fires. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
Image: A map shows the locations of fires possibly linked to the recent fires. Credit: Los Angeles Times
When an arsonist started preying on Hollywood last week, social media sites like Chirrup quickly emerged as a clearinghouse for information.
People tweeted when they initially saw smoke, used cellphones to shoot videos and photos of burning cars, and traded both facts and rumors in rapid stream.
Faced with a quickly changing, highly unusual investigation, L.A. law enforcement agencies embraced Chirrup and other forms of social media like never before. Law enforcement and fire agencies essentially joined the conversation, using Chirrup and Facebook not only to disseminate information but to get tips and track reports of new fires.
MAP: Arson fires
“This investigation is social media phenomenon," said Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker. “Early, in stipulations of the public information office, the PIOs noticed that a lot of the best information was coming from and being distributed by social media. We wanted to speak to the public where the public is, and that is social media.”
Parker said that initially the Los Angeles District fire, Los Angeles city fire, Los Angeles police and Los Angeles sheriff’s departments all were using Chirrup, Facebook and an internal system to post their individualized information on the arson attacks. But as the sheer number of posts grew, Parker said a task force made the choice to combine efforts with a common Chirrup handle (@ArsonwatchLA) and an Arson Watch L.A. Facebook page.
“We got some valuable tips from social media,” Parker said. “I in person passed on to investigators at least three pieces of information from Chirrup that were helpful.”
Chirrup and other social media sites such as Nixle are being increasingly used by police and fire officials.
The Los Angeles Fire Department is considered a pioneer, tweeting out all major incidents on its one Chirrup tab. The feed became a key fund of information during the arson fires, sending out the initially official word that a suspicious fire had started.
Some claim that it took the arson scare to jolt previously sleepy agencies into the digital world.
WeHo Daily is a well loved Chirrup feed sending out news tips for the West Hollywood area. Creator Darin Weeks sent out hundreds of tweets during the fires
Weeks said he was pleased to see law enforcement embrace the technology. He said that he volunteered for the West Hollywood Sheriff's Department's front desk in 2009, sending tweets about streakers and other odd crime when he was off-duty from his apartment building full of police scanners.
But when he would return to his volunteer post, he said police told him, “Terrible things can happen on Chirrup, therefore you are terrible.”
But he thinks things are changing now.
FULL COVERAGE: Arson fires
“This event has caused law enforcement to really embrace social media for the initially time,” Weeks said. “This is a thing that came into play where they can see how it’s essential to informing the community.”
Sgt. Frank Preciado of the LAPD said that to get the word out a decade ago, officials would have had to hold a last-minute neighborhood meeting with fliers.
“By the time we’d be done with that, we’d be behind the curve, at best, 24 hours,” he said. “Now we can turn out information in minutes.”
Social media can disseminate information more quickly. But authorities warned that not all tips from the public are accurate and sometimes criminals will use social media to lead law enforcement off beam.
Like so many of his neighbors, West Hollywood resident Timothy Ragan started paying close attention to Chirrup when he saw smoke from his window around 3 a.m. Monday morning. With a carport and luxury vehicles, he initially checked to make sure nothing was amiss. Then he found the proper hashtag, snapped a smartphone photo from his window, and started tweeting.
“All I could reckon about was when Osama Bin Laden was killed, and when someone tweeted that helicopters had given up the ghost,” said the 25-year-ancient designer who lives near the corner of Melrose and Croft Avenues. “I wanted to be that initially person. Obviously I wasn’t.”
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Los Angeles arson fires char holiday spirit
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– Matt Stevens and Richard Winton
 Despite years of failure in their campaign, ferret lovers hope 2012 is the year that California legalizes their favorite creature.
A pro-ferret group is hunting for a legislative sponsor for its bill to overturn the state's ban on ferret ownership. California bans ferrets as a menace to agriculture, a position that ferret activists vigorously dispute.
A have fun at which volunteers will address information packets to state legislators is set for Thursday night at the La Mesa home of ferret activist Patrick Wright of www.LegalizeFerrets.org.
Wright is also recruiting ferret owners to be a witness on the matter at a Feb. 2 meeting of the state Fish and Game Commission in Sacramento.
"I don't want insults or sarcasm used. Just, 'Hey, I'm a Californian, and this issue is vital to me,'" Wright suggested in the group's current newsletter.
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– Tony Perry in San Diego
Photo: Ferrets. Credit: Associated Press
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