XPost: alt.wildland.firefighting, oc.general, sac.politics
XPost: alt.politics.democrats, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with a firework-related brush fire in Laguna Beach that
burned as many as five acres and prompted evacuations, authorities
said Tuesday.
The vegetation fire erupted shortly after 2 p.m. Monday near Morningside
Drive and Rancho Laguna Road, and preliminary reports indicated it may
have been started by illegal fireworks, the Laguna Beach Police
Department said in a statement.
Firefighters and police officers responded the scene, where witnesses
said they saw a juvenile in the area possibly involved in setting off fireworks. Two juveniles were detained but were determined to be witnesses,
not suspects.
Investigators "later obtained video evidence clearly showing a juvenile
suspect lighting a firework and fleeing the scene," the news release said.
Detectives and investigators from the Laguna Beach Fire Department and
the Orange County Fire Authority identified the male juvenile responsible
and obtained search warrants for his arrest and the seizure of electronic devices, according to police.
The suspect was taken into custody on suspicion of felony reckless
burning of forest land.
"Due to the absence of any injuries or immediate threat to structures,
Orange County Juvenile Hall would not accept the suspect for booking," authorities said in a statement. He was processed at the Police Department
and released to the custody of his parents.
The case will be submitted to the Orange County district attorney's
office for review and filing of criminal charges, the news release said.
Anyone with information or video footage related to the fire was urged to contact the Laguna Beach Police Department's detective bureau at
(949) 715-0984.
https://abc7.com/post/rancho-fire-laguna-beach-police-arrest-13-year-old-allegedly-seen-video-igniting-firework-before-brush/17021298/
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