Arsonist Wanted For Starting Fires Throughout Long Beach
LONG BEACH (CBS) — Long Beach police and fire investigators say they are looking for a suspect wanted in connection with a series of at least 19 arson fires in the southern and eastern parts of Long Beach.
The first fire started Friday shortly after 3 a.m. when a vehicle in the 1700 block of Orizaba Avenue was set on fire. There have been at least 18 more fires since then, in an area bounded by Pacific Coast Highway, Appleton Street, Atlantic Avenue and Redondo Avenue. All fires are believed to have been started by the same person.
With the exception of one, all fires have been started in the early morning and have been set in garages, sheds, vehicles, trash cans and dumpsters; occurring mostly in alleys and yards, although one was started inside an occupied home.
The suspect is described only as a man who has also burglarized two homes.
Anyone with information on the fires was asked to call the Long Beach Fire Department's arson hotline at (562) 570-2582.
(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)