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Palisades fire suspect: First details on alleged LA arsonist out; could face death penalty
Authorities arrested a suspect in connection with the devastating January wildfire that tore through Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
Authorities on Wednesday arrested a suspect in connection with the devastating January wildfire that tore through Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood, killing 12 people and destroying more than 6,000 homes. Officials are expected to identify the suspect during a press conference later in the day. No further details were released ahead of the briefing.
Federal and local officials, including Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, and ATF Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper are also expected to reveal charges against the suspect, who has been dubbed as an ‘arsonist’.
The finding that the fire was intentionally set could allow the federal government to potentially seek the death penalty. Federal arson charges carry harsh mandatory minimum sentences that range from five to 20 years
This comes months after California Attorney General Rob Bonta told CNN that there were ‘some indications that arson is a possibility that we have to be open to’.
The Pacific Palisades fire, which began on January 7, was one of two deadly blazes that erupted that day. The other, the Eaton Fire in Altadena, killed 18 people and leveled large parts of that community. Investigators have yet to determine the causes of either blaze.
A September review ordered by Los Angeles County supervisors found that slow evacuations and communication failures contributed to the scale of destruction. The report cited outdated emergency alert systems, inconsistent procedures, and coordination lapses among agencies as key weaknesses in the county’s disaster response.
Both fires burned for days, turning once-thriving neighborhoods into fields of ash and debris, leaving officials scrambling to answer how such catastrophic failures occurred, and whether they could have been prevented.
Back in January, officials suggested the blaze may have originated from burn marks left behind by an earlier fire sparked by New Year’s Eve fireworks, according to reporting from The Washington Post at the time.
(With inputs from Reuters)
