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Shop NowIn the liberal land of confusion called California, catching someone in the act, with a flamethrower, isn’t enough evidence to charge them with arson. Practically the entire city of Los Angeles is going up in flames. Worse, there’s no water running through the hydrants to put it out. Officials are doing their best to avoid naming any root causes, while blaming the weather for making the blazes unmanageable. It’s pretty clear the administration knows what started the Kenneth Fire and won’t talk about it.
No arson charge
Local vigilantes caught an arson suspect in the act on Thursday, January 9. They tackled a “homeless man” on a bicycle with a flamethrower.
He was observed “setting fire to several old Christmas trees and garbage cans at the same time as the Kenneth Fire started.” They turned him over to police. He’s been charged, but not with starting any fires.
Local resident Renata Grinshpun “was in her backyard when she heard a car screech to a stop.” That was coming from a vigilant neighbor trying to nab the arson suspect.
“Neighbors, he’s trying to start a fire! Call 911!” He was quickly subdued. Eventually, cops showed up and took charge of the unidentified suspect.
The Kenneth Fire is still blazing through West Hollywood Hills. Windy conditions aren’t helping things any. When Ms. Grinshpun investigated all the excitement in the street, she “saw the suspect” holding a large “propane tank or a flamethrower.”
Others on the scene describe it as a blowtorch. No matter what you call it, the suspect was clearly using it to “torch debris in the street.” That looks like arson to most.
Neighbors in action
Because California has no intention of actually enforcing any of the laws, neighbors “jumped into action and cornered the man as he tried to ride off.” Grinshpun was one of them. A video catches the part where one citizen yelled “put it down!” as the firebug attempted to flee.
“We really banded together as a group,” Grinshpun relates. “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.” They expected him to be charged with arson.
LAPD is thankful for the assist. They go as far as calling the unnamed hobo an “arson suspect” but aren’t willing to actually charge him with that crime. The suspect appeared to the vigilantes to have an urgent need to keep setting fires. One witness notes the suspect was “very focused on moving forward” with his blowtorch.
“He was like, ‘I can’t stop. I can’t stop. I’m not putting this down. I’m doing this.‘” The mob wasn’t about to let him continue. “We’re like, ‘We can’t be doing that right now.’”
LAPD Senior Lead Officer Sean Dinse confirms they have a suspect in custody. They believe that the Kenneth Fire was intentionally set. They brought in the major crimes squad to investigate because they had “a possible arson suspect.” LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi updated the press to let them know they aren’t certain enough to actually file the charge. The “homeless man had so-far only been arrested on a felony parole violation.”
That might change but as of right now, even caught red handed in the act, “there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion on arson,” Choi confirms. The progressive prosecutor wants to turn him loose on the parole beef. “This investigation is ongoing, however,” he stressed, “thanking the citizens who tackled him and called it in.“
