The Arsonist: A Shadowy Figure Hard to Catch

The flames were still raging through dense brush in Carbon Canyon Regional Park late last month when investigators discovered the remains of an incendiary device near a horse trail where the blaze began.

The fire, which lasted until the next morning, “was deliberately set by an individual who wanted to start a fire,” said Orange County Fire Department Capt. Dan Young. “Why, we don’t know.”

About 80 acres of grassland were charred in the fire, which narrowly missed a grove of California redwoods and came within a quarter-mile of two housing tracts, as well as threatening a mobile home park. It became the 572nd to be attributed to arson in Orange County this year.

One in four fires is intentionally set, officials say, and arson is the leading cause of fires in commercial buildings.

In the past year, the number of arson fires has declined 8%. But fire officials say that the amount of damage has increased by 15%.

And the trend may worsen. Traditionally, a flagging economy is associated with an increase in arson-for-profit crimes, as some are tempted to see arson as a solution to financial woes.

“We haven’t seen the trend yet” this year, said chief arson investigator Mike McCann, “but we have seen it in the past.”

Of the more than 500 fires intentionally set this year, only 71 have been solved. In many of the unsolved cases, investigators have identified suspects, but they lack one or two key pieces of evidence that can lead to an arrest.

The difficulties in arson investigations frustrate officials, who say the crime not only endangers lives, but raises already high insurance rates and saddles financially strapped Orange County with hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in firefighting costs.

“It’s not like you have a dead body with a knife in the back and you can point to motive and opportunity,” McCann said. “In arson, you have ashes to work with.”

Arsonists range from homeowners and business people in debt to pyromaniacs and burglars trying to hide their tracks.

“You don’t always have the smoking gun” in arson crime, McCann said. “Arsonists are a cowardly lot. They hide in back alleys and commit their crime in the dark.”

So difficult is the investigator’s task that often, only the public can help solve the crime.

“For us, (compiling meaningful evidence) is like searching for a needle in a haystack. You have to sift through tons of debris,” said Russell Jones, one of the County Fire Department’s eight full-time arson investigators, whose responsibilities include determining cause, doing detective work, making arrests and testifying in court as expert witnesses.

Some examples of recent cases:

* The Cook Book, a popular Tustin restaurant, burned in May, causing $1 million in damage. A nearby store owner locking up for the night reported seeing a bright flash before the flames broke out, said arson investigator John McMasters. That was the first indication that arson was to blame.

Combing through the soggy piles of charred debris and ashes, investigators found other, more solid evidence that the fire had been intentionally set. It was also apparent that the fire had started in several different spots, a strong indicator of arson.

“Whoever was in there (at the time of the fire) was intent on destroying the building,” McMasters said, adding that his unit received an anonymous call about the case.

Despite that call, fire officials still do not have enough information to make an arrest.

“In this case, we want to talk to those folks who already called us,” McMasters said. “We’d like them to come forward to testify.”

* In 1989, customers in Little John’s Inn in Santa Ana Heights had to dash through flames that had engulfed the main entrance.

Investigators discovered that gasoline had been poured on a motorcycle belonging to a customer. The cycle was moved against the front door and ignited.

No one was seriously injured in that blaze, which caused $200,000 in damage.

The motive, investigators believe, was revenge.

Investigators are not only hampered by a vague description of the arsonist, but they are not sure if the suspect was targeting the bar owner, the motorcycle owner or someone else in the bar, Jones said.

“We don’t know who he was mad at,” Jones said.

Revenge-seeking arsonists may range from a gang member who torches a rival’s car to a spurned lover who sets a fire to the possessions of an estranged mate, or in one recent case, a former lover.

* For the past two months, downtown Tustin area has been plagued by a string of dumpster fires that fire officials believe were intentionally set by the same person. The fires cause minimal damage, but fire officials are worried that the fires will become increasingly more dangerous if the arsonist is not caught soon.

One indication was a recent fire which destroyed a late-model Oldsmobile convertible parked at a high school football game. Fire officials declined to be specific, but they believe that fire was related to the dumpster blazes.

The Tustin fires may be an example of the most perplexing type of arson: that set by a “firebugs” who either get sexual or other gratification by watching fire or enjoy acting like a “hero” by setting a small fire and reporting it, McCann said.

Fire officials have asked for the public’s help in solving the Tustin fires, and are hoping for the sort of assistance which landed Peter Diaz Reyes in jail last summer.

Reyes, a 29-year-old transient, has been charged with setting the June 27 fire, also in Carbon Canyon, after receiving a tip from a witness who told them that they saw the homeless man in the area just before the fire erupted.

After the Nov. 28 fire in the same canyon, police and fire investigators have fielded many calls from witnesses who have provided evidence that may lead to an arrest.

TROUBLING CASES FOR FIRE INVESTIGATORS

WHEN: July 25, 1990, at 3 a.m.

WHAT: Office of dentist David Semrau.

WHERE: 24481 Alicia Parkway, Mission Viejo.

DAMAGE: $250,000, $220,000 of which were contents.

DETAILS: Arsonist poured accelerant throughout the office and lighted the material. Motive was either revenge, burglary cover-up or a combination of both. Graffiti scrawled on a nearby wall said, “Get Out of Dentistry, Butcher.” Investigators have no witnesses or suspects.

WHEN: July 26, 1990, at 3 a.m.

WHAT: Laguna Hills Coin Laundry.

WHERE: 25381 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Hills.

DAMAGE: $175,000.

DETAILS: Arsonist entered laundry room, broke into coin machine, stole money and set business afire to cover up crime. Investigators have two suspects identified through fingerprints, but not enough evidence to make an arrest. They need more witnesses.

WHEN: Nov. 2, 1990, at 9:20 p.m.

WHAT: Video Inn.

WHERE: 10428 Dale St., Stanton.

DAMAGE: $60,000.

DETAILS: One or more arsonists/burglars broke through wall of video store from an adjoining empty suite. They reportedly stole several thousand dollars worth of videos and cash and set several fires in the store with matches. Sheriff’s Department laboratory is in process of enhancing fingerprints on break-in tools and drywall debris. They have no suspects at this time and are searching for witnesses.

WHEN: AUG. 15, 1990, at 3:15 a.m.

WHAT: Abandoned Home Federal Bank building

WHERE: 23941 Avenida de la Carlota, Laguna Hills.

DAMAGE: $500,000

DETAILS: Witnesses gave a possible description of arsonist as a transient who may have been living in the building. He is described as between 38-40 years old with short brown hair and wearing cowboy boots. Investigators looking for additional witnesses as well as suspect.

WHEN: Dec. 31, 1989, at 7:30 p.m.

WHAT: Unfinished custom home.

WHERE: 4855 Redfern, Yorba Linda.

DAMAGE: Undetermined.

DETAILS: Three male teen-agers or young adult “punk rocker types” were seen at the scene of the fire by several witnesses. They were also seen watching the blaze from a distance. Investigators do not know if they are suspects or witnesses and want to talk to them.

WHEN: Jan. 15, 1989, at 10:30 p.m.

WHAT: Condominium, one fatality.

WHERE: 1435 Prospect Ave. B, Yorba Linda.

DAMAGE: $110,000.

DETAILS: The burned body of Brigitta Giaconelli, 32, was discovered by firefighters after they put out a fire that was determined to be arson-related. Investigators do not know if the arson fire was a cover-up for murder or if she died in the fire.

Source: Orange County Fire Department

DIFFICULTY IN SOLVING ARSONS

Number Total Cases Cleared Loss Year of fires Arsons by Arrest to Arson As of Oct., 1990 4,701 572 71 $3,668,000 1989 3,150 666 36 $3,195,138 1988 3,181 500 35 $3,650,731 1987 2,964 581 53 $3,041,845 1986 2,872 413 25 $2,443,356 1985 3,138 375 46 $1,917,865

Source: Orange County Fire Department (covers unincorporated Orange County and 14 contract cities.