Former defensive end Anthony Smith arrested, charged with arson
A former LA/Oakland Raiders football player was arrested Tuesday for allegedly setting a fire at a Santa Monica furniture and antique shop that caused $4 million in damage.
Anthony Wayne Smith, 36, of Marina del Rey, was charged with arson in connection with the Feb. 13 fire that gutted Simply Sofas, located on the 2300 block of Lincoln Boulevard.
Bail for Smith was set at $1,000,000. Smith, a standout defensive end for eight seasons with the team, will be arraigned today at the Airport Courthouse near LAX.
Marilyn Nelson, owner of Simply Sofas, said Smith sold personal items, such as framed swords and marble obelisks, on consignment at her store for years. The items were worth anywhere from $100 to several hundred dollars each.
The relationship between the two deteriorated earli-er this year when Nelson asked Smith to retrieve several unsold items and pick up a check, Nelson said.
First, Smith refused to take the items. Next, he John Wood/Daily Press A man walks past the charred remains of the Simply Sofas furniture and antique store located on the 2300 block of Lincoln Boulevard. claimed he lost the check and demanded a second one, she said. Smith also demanded she pay in full for an obelisk that was damaged by her workers when they picked it up and found it was not properly attached to its base, Nelson said.
Nelson said she was intimidated by the angry Smith, who had been calm and polite during previous interactions, and issued a second check to put the matter behind her.
“It made no sense,” she said of Smith’s outburst. “It still makes no sense.”
Nelson said she heard nothing from Smith. But less than two weeks later, Simply Sofas was set on fire. Until one week ago, Nelson said she had no idea Smith was a suspect.
“It’s been one hell of a last six months,” she said Tuesday. “But I’m just so thankful they were actually able to find him. I was worried when they didn’t (immediately) arrest him.”
Investigators are not releasing any information on how the fire was set.
Santa Monica Police Department Lt. Frank Fabrega said the case is now in the hands of the LA County district attorney. The Santa Monica Arson Task Force, which is made up of police and fire workers, worked on the criminal investigation with the help of the LA Fire Department and its fire-trained K-9, “Buster.”
Nelson, who is temporarily running the shop out of her Los Angeles home, said she plans to open a new store this fall on Olympic Boulevard in West LA. She said she is eagerly looking forward to putting the matter behind her.
“We have been so adulterized by every Tom, Dick and Harry that wants to capitalize on this mess,” she said. “It’s been the most terrible experience.”
Smith, a first-round draft pick from the University of Arizona in 1990, played for the NFL’s LA/Oakland Raiders from 1991-97. During his pro career, Smith amassed 178 tackles and 58 sacks. The team moved from Los Angeles to Oakland in 1995.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 16, 2003. Read the original PDF.