Thanks to a tip from California firefighters, police arrested a man suspected of committing arson near a deadly Los Angeles-area blaze. Meanwhile, comedian David Spade is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who catches an arsonist.
Around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department were extinguishing a small brushfire when they allegedly spotted a man actively lighting fires in Irwindale — roughly 13 miles from the Eaton fire.
‘So keep your eyes peeled. Do what you can out there.’
The Irwindale Police Department said in a statement, “While on scene, LACOFD personnel observed a suspect actively lighting fires in the area.”
Officers responded to the incident and arrested 29-year-old Ruben Montes — a resident of Baldwin Park, which is about a half-hour east of Los Angeles. Montes was charged with arson.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported that the Eaton fire had burned 14,117 acres, destroyed or damaged over 7,000 structures, and was 33% contained. To combat the Eaton fire, 3,408 personnel, 16 helicopters, 375 engines, 29 dozers, and 90 water tenders were deployed.
The Eaton fire has taken the lives of 16 people, according to the Los Angeles County medical examiner. Another eight people died from the Pacific Palisades fire, which has scorched 23,713 acres and damaged or destroyed an estimated 5,000 structures, according to Cal Fire. The Palisades fire has been only 14% contained.
Officials are still investigating what caused the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires.
Comedian David Spade is offering a reward to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of arsonists in California.
The “Saturday Night Live” alum stated in an Instagram video, “I’m out in California and people are saying guys are lighting fires out there to make this s**t worse.”
The comedic actor continued, “They just caught somebody we’re pretty sure was lighting fires walking along with a blowtorch. They let him go.”
Local residents apprehended the suspect with a blowtorch in the area of the Kenneth fire less than an hour after the blaze started
Police arrived and detained the man on suspicion of arson, but the charge was dismissed because officials said they lacked probable cause to arrest him on arson charges. The suspect — Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva — was being detained on a felony probation violation, the Los Angeles Police Department stated.
The Daily Mail and the New York Post reported that the man is an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
Spade told his 3.2 million followers on Instagram, “So if you can find somebody lighting a fire and you catch somebody, and you get the cops to bust them and throw them in jail, I’ll give you 5,000 bucks. So keep your eyes peeled. Do what you can out there.”
Spade stressed, “Don’t fake it, though. No staging. Let me know.”
Spade isn’t the only celebrity to suspect that arsonists are involved in the devastating California fires.
“THERE IS an ARSONIST here in LA,” actor Henry Winkler wrote on the X social media platform.
Conditions for wildfires are expected to continue to be extremely dangerous. The National Weather Service on Monday said, “Dangerous situation expected as Critical to Extreme fire-weather conditions develop across parts of southern California today into Tuesday.”
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