Suspect Arrested In 'Suspicious' East Hollywood Apartment Fire
EAST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a fire that destroyed an apartment building under construction in East Hollywood.
The fire at a three-story building at 421 N. Heliotrope Drive was reported just after 6 a.m. with heavy fire and exposures, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's Amy Bastman.
LAFD knock dwn fire, 400 blk, Heliotrope. Apt bldg under constrt. 1 person trnsprtd. @KCBSKCALDesk @CBSLA @SoCalPursuits @LAFDtalk @KNX1070 pic.twitter.com/44Z8FtbSxF
— Mark Dunn (@mobile2markdunn) June 12, 2017
Benicio Garcia, 20, was taken into custody Monday and booked for arson.
Police say he does not have a known address.
The cause of the fire was listed as "suspicious and incendiary."
One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital in good condition.
The heat from the fire blew out some windows of the adjacent apartment building, which was occupied. A nearby house and garage was also damaged by the fire.
The fire was declared out after 6:50 a.m.
Twenty people, including 10 children, were displaced due to the fire and were being assisted by the American Red Cross.