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2011-12 Los Angeles arson attacks

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The 2011–2012 Los Angeles arson attacks or Los Angeles arson attacks were a series of fires started on December 29, 2011 in Los Angeles. It was the worst case of arson reported in the area since the Wikipedia:1992 Los Angeles riots.

On January 4, 2012 Harry Burkhart, 24, who was wanted in Wikipedia:Germany on suspicion of burning down his home, was charged with 28 counts of arson of property and nine counts of arson of an inhabited structure in connection with the Los Angeles fires.[1] Prosecutors said that Burkhart was "motivated by rage against Americans" and sought to terrorize as many people as possible when he torched dozens of cars, homes and garages late at night, when most residents were sleeping, to inflict maximum fear and damage.[2]

Two other persons were arrested on December 29 for arson attacks that may have coincided with Burkhart commencing his suspected arson spree.[3]

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Background[edit]

Suspect Harry Burkhart travels on German documents but was born in the Russian region of Wikipedia:Chechnya.[4][5]

The German embassy in Ottawa says Harry's mother Dorothee Burkhart has been wanted by authorities in Frankfurt and Dusseldorf since 2005. While detained in Germany, Dorothee claimed heart problems and an appointment was made for her to visit a cardiology clinic. She was allowed to wear civilian clothes and while at the clinic asked to use the washroom. Her handcuffs were removed and while in the washroom escaped through a window. She called Harry to tell him to bring money and documents to her after which they fled Frankfurt, traveling through France to Amsterdam where they purchased airline tickets to Canada.[6]

The Burkharts filed refugee claims in Canada, saying "we are persecuted [in Germany] because of our [Chechen] origin, nationality, disability of my son from the Nazis and their sympathizers" however the claims were denied.[7] Dorothee Burkhart was arrested by U.S. authorities the day before the fires began.

The minister of citizenship and immigration personally intervened in the Burkharts' case and requested that they be barred from refugee protection. The refugee claim was denied in 2009 and denied again by Canada's federal courts in 2010.[8]

The U.S. State Department said it could not determine how the Burkharts had gained entry to the United States. Immigration officials believed Harry Burkhart was in the United States with a visa that is due to expire in two weeks, but they could not find a visa file for Dorothee Burkhart. Court documents describe her as a German national and she described herself as "Canadian German", but she spoke broken German, and at a previous hearing had been granted a Russian interpreter.[9]

On January 4, 2012 German prosecutors told the Associated Press that Harry Burkhart is a suspect in a October 2011 fire in Germany that burned a home owned by his family, and Burkhart filed an insurance claim on the home.[10]

Overview[edit]

The attacks happened around nighttime and were widespread. The arsonist appears to have targeted mainly cars, many of them parked in apartment building garages or carports. Police reports indicate that flammable materials were used.

No injuries were reported, and the total amount of damage is estimated at $350000 up to $2 million.[11] Among the buildings damaged was a home in which singer Wikipedia:Jim Morrison once lived.[12] There is currently one person of interest, who has been arrested.[11]

On the morning of December 29, twenty-one fires were set in the Wikipedia:metropolitan area of Wikipedia:Los Angeles. All of the initial fires were set within five hours of each other, making authorities suspect arson.[13] By the next day, there were thirty-five fires spanning Los Angeles County. There were the twenty-one in Wikipedia:Hollywood and West Hollywood. In addition there were eight in North Hollywood, three in the Wikipedia:San Fernando Valley foothills, three in Wilshire, plus one on the Westside and one in Lennox.

As of December 31, 2011 the total fires of the arson spree series reached 39. By this time the number of arrests has reached 1. The estimated damage reaches $350,000. By January 2 the number had reached 55,[14] which the Wikipedia:Los Angeles Fire Department described as "45 occurred in the Los Angeles area, another nine were in West Hollywood, and one was in Burbank."[11]

On January 3, 2012 images of the main suspect getting arrested are released.[15]

Response[edit]

Local response[edit]

No information was released about the perpetrator until December 31, when authorities reported the suspect was a "male driving a white-and-tan mid-1990s Wikipedia:Lexus ES300".

At a press conference on January 1, LAFD chief Pat Butler said, "We are not going to rest. We are going to work tirelessly".[16]

The captain of the LAFD, Jamie Moore, said, "It will be interesting to see what the motive is behind this. There are a lot of reasons why people start fires. Some people do it out of spite or malice. Others do it out of recognition. Others do it as a crime cover-up. Some do it for financial gain, and there are always those who have a psychological problem where they get a form of self-gratification from it."[17]

Los Angeles County Supervisor Wikipedia:Zev Yaroslavsky said on December 30, "We are dead serious about trying to apprehend the individual or individuals who are responsible for this. We want to get these SOBs before they hurt somebody. One of these fires was just less than three blocks from my own home."[17]

Arrest of Harry Burkhart[edit]

State Department Special Agent Jonathan Lamb and his partner Deputy Wikipedia:U.S. Marshal Louis Flores were assigned the fugitive cold case of locating Dorothee Burkhart, who was wanted by Germany on 19 counts of fraud "committed on a commercial basis and as a member of a gang",[9] including failing to pay for a 2004 breast-augmentation surgery and pilfering $45,000 worth of security deposits from renters. While working on Dorothee's case Lamb and Flores learned about her son Harry. After Dorothee was found and appeared at her extradition proceeding on December 29, 2011, Harry called further attention to himself by screaming "F*** the United States!" in the courtroom when he realized his mother was about to be deported to Germany.[5][18][19] Flores was sitting at home watching TV about 10 p.m. on January 1 when a parking garage security camera video was played on the news. Flores recognized Harry in the video and called the LAPD hotline and his chain of command.[20] On January 2 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Reserve Deputy Shervin Lalezary[21] arrested Burkhart near a drugstore at the corner of Wikipedia:Sunset Boulevard and Wikipedia:Fairfax Avenue, having spotted him driving a blue minivan consistent with the description provided by Lamb and Flores.[22]

On January 4, 2012 Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Harry Burkhart with 28 felony counts of arson of property and nine counts of arson of an inhabited structure in connection with the Los Angeles-area fires.[1] His bail was set at $2.85 million. If convicted on all 37 counts, Burkhart could be facing up to a 341-year sentence.[4]

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said that Harry Burkhart was "motivated by rage against Americans" and sought to terrorize as many people as possible when he torched dozens of cars, homes and garages late at night, when most residents were sleeping, to inflict maximum fear and damage.[2]

Later developments[edit]

On January 4, an anonymous law enforcement official said that Burkhart had been put on a suicide watch.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 German man charged with arson spree in L.A. Cbsnews.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 January 4, 2012 . Hollywood arson suspect 'motivated by rage against Americans'. Latimesblogs.latimes.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-05.
  3. ↑ AFP: German man due in court over LA arson spree. Google.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-04.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kim, Victoria Suspect faces life term in arson rampage. Latimes.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-05.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 January 3, 2012 . Mother of L.A. arson suspect Harry Burkhart says he's mentally ill. Latimesblogs.latimes.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-04.
  6. ↑ Sunny Dhillion, Mother of accused arsonist warned son could make ‘deadly’ decisions Wikipedia:The Globe and Mail 5 January 2012
  7. ↑ Sunny Dhillon and Campbell Clark. "Accused L.A. arsonist begged court to stay in Canada". Theglobeandmail.com. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/accused-la-arsonist-begged-court-to-stay-in-canada/article2291936/. Retrieved 2012-01-05. </li>
  8. ↑ Canadian immigration minister intervened to bar accused and his mother
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kim, Victoria Arrest in arson rampage reveals enigmatic mother and son. Latimes.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-04.
  10. ↑ January 4, 2012 . L.A. arson suspect Harry Burkhart probed in German fire. Latimesblogs.latimes.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-04.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Blankstein, Andrew; Winton, Richard; Bloomekatz, Ari (January 2, 2012). "Suspect Arrested in String of Fires". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-probe-suspect-arrested.html. Retrieved January 2, 2012. </li>
  12. ↑ Malkoff, Dave (January 1, 2012). "Arsonist Lights Jim Morrison's House on Fire". Wikipedia:New England Cable News . http://www.necn.com/01/01/12/Arsonist-lights-Jim-Morrisons-house-on-f/landing_arts.html?blockID=622664&feedID=4214. Retrieved January 1, 2012. </li>
  13. ↑ "35 Southern California Fires Rock Cities". Wikipedia:CNN. December 31, 2011. http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-31/justice/justice_california-arson_1_arson-unit-fires-angeles-county-fire-department?_s=PM:JUSTICE. Retrieved January 1, 2012. </li>
  14. ↑ Quinones, Sam (January 2, 2012). "L.A. Arson Fires Now Top 55; 'Person of Interest' Held". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/55-fires-of-concern-have-broken-out-since-friday-official-says.html. Retrieved January 2, 2012. </li>
  15. ↑ Google Image Result for http://a57.foxnews.com/video.foxnews.com/thumbnails/010212/640/360/640/360/010212_fr_arson_640.jpg. Google.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-04.
  16. ↑ "LA Detectives Release Video Featuring Person of Interest After Latest Wave of Car Arson Fires". Wikipedia:The Washington Post. Associated Press. January 1, 2012. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/new-year-arrives-with-more-car-fires-in-los-angeles-area/2012/01/01/gIQAm3goTP_story.html?tid=pm_national_pop. Retrieved January 2, 2012. </li>
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Nagourney, Adam (January 1, 2012). "Cars Set on Fire, and Los Angeles Set on Edge". Wikipedia:The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/us/los-angeles-car-firebombings-set-city-on-edge.html. Retrieved January 1, 2012. </li>
  18. ↑ Blood, Michael R. LA arson suspect cursed US days before fires. Ajc.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-04.
  19. ↑ Los Angeles authorities charge German man over arson attacks Wikipedia:The Guardian 4 January 2012
  20. ↑ L.A. arsons: Federal agent tips helped lead to suspect's capture Wikipedia:Los Angeles Times 5 January 2011
  21. ↑ http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_19673152>Mercury News
  22. ↑ Blankstein, Andrew; Winton, Richard; Bloomekatz, Ari (January 2, 2012). "Fire Starting Materials Found in Van of Person of Interest Sources Say". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/fire-starting-materials-found-in-van-of-person-of-interest-sources-say-.html. Retrieved January 2, 2012. </li>
  23. ↑ The Associated Press: German man charged with arson in New Year fires. Google.com. URL accessed on 2012-01-05.

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