Escaped Suspect Captured After Shooting, Fire At Burbank Home

BURBANK (CBSLA) – An armed man wanted in a shooting and house fire at a Burbank home Friday night was arrested following a five-hour search early Saturday morning.

At 10:23 p.m., Burbank police were called to a home in 1500 block of North Niagara Street regarding a suspect who had violated a restraining order.

As officers were arriving on scene, they heard gunshots, and then saw flames coming from the home. The officers were able to help three people evacuate the home, but learned that the suspect had somehow escaped. No one was hurt.

Surrounding homes were evacuated and officers and SWAT began an air and ground search for the suspect with the help of Glendale and Pasadena police.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Fire Department crews also responded and extinguished the blaze before it spread to any surrounding homes.

At about 3:15 a.m. Saturday, the suspect was found on a property in the 1400 block of Catalina Street. When he refused orders to surrender, a K9 was deployed to help take him into custody.

"He was seen by officers in an air support helicopter, basically jumping walls and backyards in the area," Burbank police Lt. Adam Cornils said. "Officers contained the area and called in more resources to help address the problem."

He was arrested and a gun was also recovered at the scene, police said.

The suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment for dog bites sustained from the K-9 officer.

The suspect's name and the charges he will face were not released.

The exact circumstances that led up to the shooting and fire are under investigation. The level of damage to the home was also not confirmed.

One thing was clear. The fire and shooting in the normally quiet neighborhood had neighbors on edge and will have them talking about their wild evening for a long while to come.

"This is very unusual for the city of Burbank," said Chris Castro.

Things quickly escalated, neighbors said.

"We looked  and saw what looked like them kicking the door in and all of a sudden the fire went wild," said Judy Liss.