Arson Suspect Killed After Wounding Officer : Violence: Police say they returned fire after the man shot at patrol cars that arrived at a burning house in Montebello. Eight people in the building escape without injuries.

A suspected arsonist was shot and killed by Montebello police officers Monday morning after he opened fire on patrol cars near a burning house, wounding one officer, authorities said. More than a dozen shots were fired in the shootout.

Police responded to a 911 call about a fire and a man waving a gun in the 2700 block of Via Paseo about 6 a.m. They said the suspect, who was still unidentified late Monday, began firing at three officers in their cars, wounding Officer David Denkin, 28, in the thigh. After two other officers were called in, Denkin and the other officers fired back, wounding the suspect several times in the torso.

“The officers didn’t say anything and were immediately fired on,” said George Ducoulombier, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman.

Police said they found a Molotov cocktail on the roof of the house.

Both the officer and the suspect were taken to Beverly Hospital. The suspect died a short time later; Denkin was treated and released.

By the time the gunfire ended, the home and two attached rear apartments had been nearly destroyed by flames. The seven adults and one child inside escaped with no injuries.

Ducoulombier said officers were investigating whether the suspect had a vendetta against the building’s owner or a resident. Area residents said that the building was the site of frequent parties and that there was always steady traffic coming in and out.

“I’d always wondered what was going to happen over there,” said Frank Arbizu, who lives next door to the house. “There was always a lot of action.”

Dozens of bullet casings were spread out over the street as officers closed off the scene until early Monday afternoon.

“It seemed like the gunshots lasted a really long time,” said Marguerite Nourian, a neighbor who was awakened by the noise. “I just ran to the center of my apartment and got on the floor because it sounded like the shots were moving closer to my garage.”