2 more firebugs charged as LA’s new tough-on-crime DA heats up fight against looters and arsonists
Two men have been charged with felony arson in Los Angeles in unrelated cases as authorities combat firebugs, looters and multiple raging blazes in Southern California.
The incidents happened in different parts of Los Angeles County over the weekend, according to the district attorney’s office.
Jaime Mota, 37, was held on $350,000 bail for allegedly lighting a stack of wooden pallets on fire behind a shipping yard in the City of Industry Saturday afternoon. The flames spread to a tractor-trailer and some surrounding bushes, according to authorities. He could get seven years in prison if convicted.
In Irwindale, 27-year-old Ruben Michael Montes is being held on $400,000 bail for allegedly lighting a fire under the Interstate 605 overpass at Rivergrade Road. He was already on probation at the time of the incident and faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted.
“We owe it to the victims of these fires, as well as the brave first responders risking their lives, to ensure justice is served,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “Let this be a message to anyone contemplating similar acts — you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
He noted that his department had also recently charged 10 others with looting or arson and said he would continue to crack down on crime.
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“The people of Los Angeles County are enduring unprecedented hardship as wildfires ravage our communities, displacing families, destroying homes, and tragically claiming lives,” Hochman said.
“While first responders and residents work tirelessly to save lives and property, we will not tolerate individuals who exploit this tragedy by committing heinous acts of arson or looting. My Office continues to put relentless pressure on those who threaten the safety and security of our county.”
On Tuesday, Hochman and District Attorney Todd Spitzer, of the neighboring Orange County, teamed up to ask Gov. Gavin Newsom to make looting a felony.
Arson attacks have sparked the interest of law enforcement and average citizens alike.
Last week, “Chicago Fire” actor Brian J. White took the battle to the real world when he and a group of neighbors conducted a citizen’s arrest on an illegal immigrant marching through their neighborhood with a blowtorch.
And on Monday, Hochman’s office announced charges against a homeless man in Azusa after neighbors saw him light a brush fire in a park near their homes. They confronted him verbally until a nearby Azusa police officer arrived and placed him in handcuffs at the scene.
“Azusa PD urges everyone to remain alert as fires continue to affect the county,” Azusa Capt. Rob Landeros said in a statement over the weekend. “We must be cautious of individuals who may enter our community with the intent to start fires.”
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Firefighters quickly put that fire out, according to authorities.
In another unrelated arson, Jim McDonnell told the local ABC affiliate that one of the suspected arsonists told police he “liked the smell of burning leaves.”
Multiple wildfires in Los Angeles have killed at least 24 people over the past week, and the number is expected to rise.