A 61-year-old “convicted serial arsonist” was arrested for allegedly setting 11 arson fires in the Studio City area Friday that targeted vehicles and trash containers, authorities said.
The alleged arsonist was identified as John Hasekian, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Hasekian was arrested about 8:50 a.m., according to jail records.
Hasekian was being held on $51,000 bail, according to jail records. It was not immediately known when his first court date will be.
The final fire was reported at 6:15 a.m. in a trash container outside 11365 Ventura Blvd., near Tujunga Avenue, said Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Ten other fires had been set in the general area beginning at about 4 a.m., the LAFD reported.
Investigators initially detained Hasekian as a “person of interest.”
“LAFD Arson/Counter Terrorism Section and LAPD worked together to uncover evidence and narrow in on one individual suspected of starting these fires,” Prange said.
“Arson K-9 named Blue detected accelerant while investigating these fires earlier. The person in custody is a previously convicted serial arsonist. We take intentional fire setting very seriously and are thankful no one was harmed by these malicious acts.”
No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported.