Man suspected of New Year’s Eve arson

The Huntington Beach SWAT team Wednesday morning helped arrest a Santa Ana man and serve a search warrant for his home after he allegedly torched a car last month.

Huntington Beach Police Department detectives and the SWAT team arrested Thuan Minh Lam, 34, of Santa Ana, on suspicion of arson Wednesday morning, officials said.

He is expected to be charged with felony arson of property and a sentencing enhancement for using an acceleration device during arson, according to court records. An arraignment date has yet to be set, according to court records.

He was booked into the Huntington Beach Jail and is being held on $250,000 bail.

Lam is suspected to be behind a Dec. 31 car fire in Huntington Beach that destroyed a white 2008 four-door Acura, police reported.

Police and fire officials responded to a 911 call from residents who heard an explosion and found the Acura on fire just after midnight in the 7800 block of MacDonald Drive.

The car fire was put out, but the car was beyond repair, police reported.

Police believe Lam was behind the incident after an investigation and obtained a warrant for his arrest and a search warrant for his Santa Ana home.

Lam has a criminal background that made him high-risk, and the SWAT team was called in to assist detectives Wednesday morning, police reported.

Officials couldn’t release information on his background.

—Britney Barnes