Michelle Malkin » SoCal arson suspect killed, another arrested; Santiago Fire to be declared an arson

SoCal arson suspect killed, another arrested; Santiago Fire to be declared an arson

By Michelle Malkin • October 24, 2007 04:56 PM

Amid worries of new blazes adding to the firestorm already afflicting the region, a man in Hesperia has been arrested on suspicion of arson, and police reported shooting and killing another arson suspect after chasing him out of scrub behind Cal State San Bernardino.

Law enforcement officials said today that they didn’t know whether either of the men had started any of the more than a dozen large fires that have devastated Southern California in recent days, including the nearby Lake Arrowhead blaze. The brush fire in Hesperia was quickly extinguished by residents.

Investigators have said that at least two of the huge wildfires, one in Orange County and the other in Temecula, were the work of arsonists.

The confrontation that ended in the shooting death started about 6 p.m. Tuesday when San Bernardino university police spotted a man in a rural area of flood channels and scrub near the campus. University police tried to detain the man, but he got into his car and fled, authorities said.

“We don’t know whether he was an arsonist,” said Lt. Scott Patterson of the San Bernardino Police Department, which joined the pursuit. “What was related by the Cal State police was that they tried to contact him as a suspicious person in a brush area. Things being how they are, there was a suspicion that he could be an arsonist.”

The area near the campus had been affected by the massive Old Fire of 2003, Patterson said, adding that “it’s very fire-prone. It’s an area that would be very devastated if a fire were to start there.”

The man, whose identity has not been released, drove north on Waterman Avenue and up a dirt fire road into the foothills. When officers tried to take him into custody, the man began to ram officers’ vehicles, Patterson said. Officers shot and killed him.

Elsewhere:

CBS News has learned a task force of agencies, including the FBI, ATF, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the California Department of Forestry will announce shortly that the massive Santiago Canyon Fire – which has caused an estimated $10 million in damage – is being officially declared an arson, and a $50,000 reward is being offered to find the arsonist.

Investigators have identified two separate “points of origin” where they believe the fire was set, CBS News has learned. FBI agents secured the scene to “maintain its integrity.”

The Santiago Fire has burned about 19,200 acres east of Irvine, officials said, and it is around 30 percent contained. Six homes and eight outbuildings have been destroyed, with another eight homes and 12 outbuildings damaged. Four firefighters have been injured fighting the blaze and about 3,000 people evacuated.

California authorities and FBI agents searched a home Wednesday as part of the arson investigation.

The search was conducted in Orange County by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI, the official said.

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#154781

On October 24th, 2007 at 8:28 pm, feebiebabe said:

xler8 –

no doubt. I have mine ready to go…probably scare the pants off those jihadi’s without even having to take a shot!!!

Lol….
#154783

On October 24th, 2007 at 8:33 pm, xler8bmw said:

#100 LOL I loved the tater salad post! Too Funny
#154785

On October 24th, 2007 at 8:35 pm, bear1909 said:

MWAH yerself
#154805

On October 24th, 2007 at 9:03 pm, Leatherneck said:

Hot pink AK, who would have thought?

To the Police who caught one, and killed the other, thank you.

I read one man was from Arizona, but his name will not be given until Thursday.
#154835

On October 24th, 2007 at 9:52 pm, Dr. Lead Based Paint said:

Judging from current trends, I’d say the suspects are either Arabs or illegal aliens… that’s why they won’t reveal their names.
#154938

On October 25th, 2007 at 12:21 am, HeatherRadish said:

Global warming causes arson now? I’ll be.
#154970

On October 25th, 2007 at 2:09 am, bear1909 said:

Why yes, Heather, it does. Trees are literally exploding because of the average 1 degree temperature rise.

/sarc off

Bear go sleep now.
#155543

On October 25th, 2007 at 1:49 pm, RetFireman said:

It’s mind boggling to think of the size of these butts that the Libs pull their conspiricy theories out of. I mean, it must be absolutely gargantuan in size, for they have a conspiricy theory to suit all needs and functions.

I just can’t wait until the officers that shot this filth are crucified by the media and the Liberals for using “too much force” and how “Police Brutality” will be used by them. “There must have been some other way to deal with them other than to kill them. this is police misconduct and abuse of power at it’s worse” will be the statements.

Then, toss in the conspiracy monkeys, “Bush gave the order personally to have that guy ’silenced’ so as not to implicate him and Cheney in the fires’ “.

It is just sick that it happens so often that they would be this predictable.

Anyone want to take bets?
#155659

On October 25th, 2007 at 3:59 pm, Bogtrotter said:

Since there are deaths involved from the fires, the death penalty should apply for anyone they catch. Not that they would ever actually be put to death in CA.
#155835

On October 25th, 2007 at 7:04 pm, RetFireman said:

Actually, if the deaths occurred in the places that they personally caught fire, they will be charges with, at minimum, felony manslaughter.
#160238

On October 31st, 2007 at 4:25 pm, DagneyT said:

http://michellemalkin.com/2007/10/24/socal-arson-suspect-killed-another-arrested/#comment-154560

mbruce, you mirrored my thoughts. Typical of LA, no names are mentioned if they do not match the agenda of the media reporting. Anyone want to bet they begin with Mohammed so&so?

In the short run, it may be good that they remain unreported names. We don’t want any gun-toting moron going after similarly named individuals, and giving the left an excuse to take the rest of our gun rights away!