Police arrested a man in Tarzana who is thought to be behind 30 car fires. Darsha Philips reports May 29, 2023.
A serial arsonist is off the streets after a home security camera caught him in the act helping police arrest him.
A neighbors ring camera captured the man on the bike dousing a truck parked on Greeley Street and Pinewood Avenue in Tujunga with something from a bottle. The man is then seen lighting the truck on fire and riding away.
Rich Poquette the owner of the says he had just purchased the vehicle two months ago.
"It’s clear as day, you can see everything he is doing," said Rich. "It’s just shocking."
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"I felt like I got lucky finding it [the truck]. The guy who sold it to me was a really super nice guy," Rich said. "The truck was fun to drive and in immaculate condition inside and out."
Rich had to have his foot amputated last week because of complications caused by his diabetes. He says he couldn’t wait to get back in his truck, but instead watched it burn from his wheelchair.
"We’ve just had a run of bad luck, but I’m sure things will turn soon," said Natalie Robles, Rich's wife.
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Natalie says she saw cops arrest the man seen in the video right after he set her husband’s truck on fire.
The LAPD believes the man is responsible for more than two dozen car fires in the Sunland Tujunga area including a vehicle on Haines Canyon Avenue.
"Now I’m hearing there’s 30 cars and I personally wonder 'what happened? why did it take so long to get something going,'" Rich said.
Rich says some victims of these car fires have posted on the Community Facebook page a few weeks ago, saying the LAFD did not think these car fires were arson.
"Cars don’t just spontaneously combust and it’s not all ignition," Rich said.
