Suspect in LA Arson Attacks Arrested
A man suspected of setting off a series of 53 fires throughout the Los Angeles area was arrested on Monday.
Los Angeles police have indicated that they believe that the suspect, 24-year-old Harry Bukhart, is the likely culprit of the fires. Bukhart is a German national that is currently residing in Hollywood.
Bukhart was charged on Monday with one count of arson of an inhabited dwelling, but will likely face several other charges as police continue to pursue the investigation, according to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
“I feel very good that we’ve got the right guy,” Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck told reporters at a press conference.
Beck added that the suspect in custody had materials that could be used to start a fire in his blue minivan, suggesting to police that they may have caught the “right” man.
Nevertheless Beck indicated that “prosecution is not a conviction” and added “we have a long way to go.”
Bukhart was discovered during a traffic stop initiated by a LAPD volunteer.
Bukhart declared to authorities upon his detention, “I hate America.”
Bukhart’s neighbor told The Huffington Post that his mother was facing a deportation battle with immigration officials. Some are now questioning if the suspect was possibly motivated over the legal troubles his mother was facing.
Police have yet to comment on the possible motive behind the attacks.
The series of overnight fires broke out across Los Angeles and Hollywood starting on Friday burning vehicles, parking structures, homes, and apartment carports. The fires have been reported to cause more than $3 million in damages.
No serious injuries have been reported as a result of the fires.
The Los Angles County Sheriff said to reporters that the person who set off the fires “perhaps the most dangerous arsonist in the County of L.A.”
