North Hollywood Arson Suspect May Have Served Time For String Of Japanese Fires
LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) — Is the suspect in a string of North Hollywood arson fires also responsible for torching bars and restaurants in Japan a decade ago?
Los Angeles fire investigator David Liske says they are contacting the Navy to determine whether Kurt Billie, 34, is the Marine who was given five years in a Japanese prison in 2001 for setting fires in Okinawa.
Billie was arrested Tuesday near the scene of a motor home fire in North Hollywood. It was the latest in a series of early-morning vehicle fires that have been deliberately set in the same area since mid-July.
Liske says Billie may only have been in town for a couple of months. He's refusing to talk to investigators.
Billie remains jailed Wednesday on $250,000 bail.
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