GLENDALE : Firebombs Destroy Apartment; 2 Held

Two Glendale men were in custody Monday in connection with the firebombing of an apartment building early Sunday.

Michael Angel Gomez, 21, and Jorge Lopez Camacho, 18, were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for allegedly starting the fire, which destroyed an apartment and left a man, his wife and their two children homeless.

Glendale police Monday bought toys for the children--one 5 years old and the other 6 months old--and firefighters donated $200 for the family to buy food and clothing.

“We were very saddened,” said Glendale Fire Battalion Chief Michael Carter. “We wanted to see what we could do, what with the time of the year and the age of the children.”

Police said Gomez and Camacho, who they suspect are gang members, confronted four men about 1:30 a.m. Sunday near the corner of Elk and Glendale avenues. Police Sgt. Lief Nicolaisen said a fight broke out between Gomez and Camacho and the men.

With Gomez and Camacho apparently in pursuit, the four men went into an apartment in the 1000 block of Mariposa Street, where one of them lived, police said.

After two of the men left about half an hour later, Gomez and Camacho tossed makeshift firebombs into the apartment, police said.

Two police officers in a patrol car who were in the area heard what they thought were two gunshots. As the officers approached the scene, they saw two men running.

The officers got out of their car and chased the two men. Gomez was caught immediately, but Camacho escaped. However, police arrested Camacho Monday afternoon at his Glendale home.

Firefighters were able to douse the blaze within five minutes, limiting major damage to one unit in the five-unit complex. Firefighters said the blaze caused about $25,000 damage to the structure and $10,000 to the contents.

Police would not release the names of the victims, saying they feared retaliation.

The man who lived in the apartment, however, said at a news conference that he appreciated the gifts.

“I did not expect them,” he said in Spanish. “Right now I don’t have anything, and now I have to start over.”