A group of residents pursued and tackled a 41-year-old man suspected of setting a brush fire near the Chatsworth Reservoir, detaining him until police arrived and arrested him on Monday, Feb. 3.
The bystanders drove after the man, who allegedly was seen walking away from an area after lighting a brush fire that expanded to 100 square feet in the vicinity of Knapp Ranch Road and Woolsey Canyon Road.
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When Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 24000 block of Woolsey Canyon Road around 4:30 p.m., the man was lying face down after the residents had tackled and held him, according to a video of the scene on Instagram.
Video footage captured by local resident Gabe Cortez shows the suspect appearing distressed as another resident chases him down the road. He yells out, “I didn’t do anything, I didn’t do anything,” in Spanish. The clip cuts to deputies handcuffing the suspect while a woman deputy says, “Wrong neighborhood, buddy. Wrong neighborhood.”
Another deputy can be seen placing several lighters found on the suspect on the hood of his patrol car.
Cortez described the man as a transient in his social media post, and said the man was also seen carrying a black bag, which he later threw.
Officials could not confirm whether the suspect was homeless. He was arrested on suspicion of arson and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 5.
Firefighters quickly put out the blaze. The sheriff’s department’s arson and explosives unit is investigating.
Anyone with information related to the case can contact the unit at (323) 881-7500.
