Judge OKs House Arrest for Suspected Arsonist

A bid by federal prosecutors to keep suspected serial arsonist John L. Orr, a Glendale fire captain, behind bars was rejected Friday by U.S. District Court Judge Edward Rafeedie, who said an earlier $50,000 bail and house-arrest release plan were appropriate.

Orr, 42, Glendale’s chief arson investigator, is expected to return to his Eagle Rock home early next week and wear an electronic monitoring device that will alert federal officials if he leaves. Rafeedie ruled that Orr can accompany his attorney outside to help prepare his defense if he notifies federal authorities.

The release was authorized Tuesday by a U.S. magistrate, but Assistant U.S. Atty. Stefan Stein urged Rafeedie on Friday to overturn that ruling. Stein argued that Orr, who was charged Dec. 4 with setting three Los Angeles-area retail store fires and is a suspect in a dozen other arson cases, is “an extraordinary danger to the community at large.”

But Douglas McCann, Orr’s attorney, said his client is not a threat.