Man Pleads Innocent to Studio City Fires
A 37-year-old transient pleaded innocent Monday to charges that he set fire to six Ventura Boulevard stores in Studio City, causing $2.5 million in damage.
John Kellogges was arrested a day after the Dec. 26 fires routed post-Christmas shoppers and snarled traffic on Ventura Boulevard and neighboring streets.
Gutted in the midday blazes were Stroud’s Linen Warehouse and Pier 1 Imports. Four other businesses were damaged, including a popular guitar and music shop.
Kellogges, who police say matches the description of a man several witnesses saw near where the fires started, is being held in lieu of $1-million bail.
A preliminary hearing was set Jan. 17 in San Fernando Municipal Court.
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