An arson suspect allegedly spotted with a “flamethrower”-like device was taken into custody near one of the fires that has erupted in Los Angeles, KTLA reported Thursday.
Police officers arrived as he was being held down by neighbors in the Woodland Hills area, according to the outlet.
An observer, Renata Grinshpun, told the station the man carried a “propane tank or a flamethrower” and a neighbor witnessed him trying to ignite something behind a vehicle.
One person driving by the incident rallied residents to call 911, rousing some to join him in a citizen’s arrest of sorts. A few men zip-tied him while waiting for police, she said.
Video obtained by Fox shows one man calling out the accused on the street and then he is joined by another in wrestling the man to the ground.
While the suspect was stopped near the Kenneth Fire, one of several blazes engulfing the metro area, officials said they could not confirm he had any role in the large wildfires.
The Los Angeles Police Department told KTLA the actions of the man are being looked into as arson.
“We are continuing our investigation,” a police spokesperson said, per Westside Current. “At this stage, we cannot confirm any connection to a fire.”
CBS-owned KCAL said an official with the Ventura County Sheriff’s office was to join LAPD in questioning the man.
HuffPost has reached out to the department’s Topanga Division, which services Woodland Hills, for updates.
The Kenneth Fire is one of several consuming the Los Angeles area. The blazes have killed at least 10 people and destroyed more than 10,000 buildings, The Associated Press reported.
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