Authorities served a trio of search warrants and arrested man for alleged firearms violations, government fraud and impersonating a first responder, police said Thursday.
Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, assisted by personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) served the warrants on Wednesday, according to an LAPD spokesperson.
News reports from the scene showed a fire truck being seized at the residence in the 100 block of Rockingham Avenue, just off Sunset Boulevard. The vehicle reportedly had a license plate registered to a nonexistent fire department.
Los Angeles Fire Department Station 19 is located just blocks away, at 12229 Sunset Blvd., also in Brentwood.
Overhead video displayed it being hauled away and later shown in an impound lot.
Police did not immediately identify the suspect, nor provide his description. The events that led to the arrest were not disclosed.
An FBI spokeswoman said it was unclear if the bureau was involved at all and referred questions to the ATF.
An ATF spokeswoman referred all questions to the LAPD, as the bureau only assisted in the department’s investigation.
The fire truck was reportedly registered to the Santa Muerte Fire Department, which doesn’t exist. Reports indicated that firearms and uniforms were also seized.
The fictitious fire department name has come up before. In 2023, a man named Andrew De Boer was arrested in San Bernardino County for allegedly impersonating a policeman and attempting to arrest someone for a traffic violation. De Boer was dressed as an officer and had a “Santa Muerte Fire Department” badge in his possession at the time.