GLENDALE : Man Accused of Setting Car Ablaze

Police believe a Glendale man who accused his neighbor of stealing a parking space from him retaliated Thursday by setting the neighbor’s car on fire.

The suspect, police say, implicated himself by using junk mail imprinted with his home address as the torch.

Jesus Hernandez, 20, was arrested at his apartment in the 1500 block of Dixon Street about 5:50 a.m. Oct. 27, just a few hours after firefighters were summoned to extinguish a burning 1988 Hyundai Excel about a block away.

The owner of the car, Megerdich Panosian, 58, at first told police he had no idea who might have set the vehicle ablaze. But when asked if he had gotten into any fights or arguments recently, the man recalled arguing with Hernandez over a parking space in the neighborhood about a week ago.

The rear window of the car had been smashed, and burning rags and papers were found inside the car and in the street. Among them were several circulars that had been mailed to Hernandez’s address, police said.

The car’s right front tire had been slashed and set afire, according to the report, but firefighters were able to put the fire out before the car became fully engulfed in flames. Only the rear seat was badly burned.

Hernandez was arraigned Monday in Glendale Municipal Court.