Understandably, the citizens of Los Angeles are in shock and on edge as wildfires continue to rage across the city, with new ones cropping up almost daily and overwhelming the already-overwhelmed firefighters who are battling the various blazes, oftentimes with limited to no water supply.
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Compounding matters has been the absolute failure in leadership at the city, county, and state levels, with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass beclowning herself again and again at every turn.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, has been caught running away from distraught and frustrated members of the impacted communities while at the same time pretending he was on a call with President Joe Biden.
READ MORE: Desperate Wildfire Victim Accosts Gavin Newsom, and He Does the Most Embarrassing Thing Ever
But while Newsom has been turning his back on the people he is supposed to serve, fed-up residents in the Woodland Hills neighborhood have taken action, detaining a man they saw carrying a blow torch near the scene of one of the wildfires:
“We were sitting in the backyard and suddenly, we hear a car come to a screeching halt and the guy is running out saying, ‘Stop! Drop what you’re holding! Neighbors, he’s trying to start a fire! Call 911!’” recalled Renata Grinshpun, who witnessed the incident.
Grinshpun said the commotion roused neighbors from their homes who cornered the suspect and held him down. She said the man had what appeared to be a large “propane tank or a flamethrower” and a neighbor saw him trying to light an object on fire behind a vehicle.
“We really banded together as a group,” Grinshpun said. “A few gentlemen surrounded him and got him on his knees. They got some zip ties, a rope and we were able to do a citizens’ arrest.”
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Watch as they spring into action:
NEW: @FOXLA has exclusively obtained video of a man carrying a blow torch in Woodland Hills, CA Thursday not far from the Kenneth Fire. LAPD says the man is in custody but “can’t confirm any connection to any fire by this suspect”. #CaliforniaWildfires #KennethFire pic.twitter.com/ULwxtnfsdj
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) January 10, 2025
Here’s a video of the suspect being arrested:
More footage of the man arrested in the Woodland Hills area, suspected of arson.
The man, was found holding a blowtorch, and is suspected of starting the Kenneth Fire which has consumed 1,000 acres, and left thousands fleeing their homes.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) January 10, 2025
Fox 11 noted in their report that according to their police sources, “the man… may potentially be linked to the Franklin Fire, though how was not immediately clear.” His name has not been released as of this writing.
This is what folks coming together in a time of need and when first responder resources are stretched thin looks like. If all these fires were intentionally started and if this guy was indeed the person (or one of the people) responsible for them, then these residents have saved the day – and their city. At the very least, if the description of what went down before they nabbed him is correct, they saved their neighborhood
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Well done, Woodland Hills, well done.
Update – 1:25 PM ET: According to the latest reports, police don’t have enough evidence to charge the unnamed suspect with arson:
However, there was not enough evidence to charge him with arson, LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi told reporters on Friday.
[…]
“After the interview and additional investigative steps looking at some additional evidence that was present they made the determination that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion on arson.”
He was arrested on a felony probation violation and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
RedState will keep you posted on this developing story. Stay tuned.
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