San Fernando Valley : Arson Causes $50,000 Damage to Glendale Bakery

Arson at an Armenian bakery early Monday caused about $50,000 in damage, but Glendale officials discounted any ethnic or racial motive for the incident.

Investigators were trying to determine why incendiary devices were used to spark the fire at Sam’s Armenian Bakery on Raleigh Street shortly after 2 a.m.

No one was injured.

Several business owners and passersby said they had never heard of any problems involving threats of violence in the area. The owners of the bakery, who could not be reached Monday, are considered good business people, they said.

Campbell said the preliminary investigation pointed away from ethnic or racial motives.

“It does not appear to be targeted against one group or another,” Campbell said.

Authorities said community concerns that Armenians were being targeted for such crimes as arson or vandalism were unfounded. The cars of several local writers were recently vandalized, and the victims had said they suspected the attacks were retaliation for their articles about Armenian politics.