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# Suspected arsonist extinguished by local police
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/suspected-arsonist-extinguished-by-local-police/
- Published: 2003-09-02T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:51:05.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Crime, Montana, #archive-import

*Suspect believed to be responsible for 11 fires*

*By Daily Press staff*

A convicted arsonist was captured by police early Saturday after he allegedly started nearly a dozen fires in dumpsters near Montana Avenue.

Ronald Kenneth Sneed, a 55-year-old transient, was arrested at about 1 a.m. on Saturday after police and fire personnel responded to 11 dumpster fires late Friday night. Sneed is suspected of starting all of the fires.

The blazes, which occurred in the alleys of Fourth and Fifth streets, as well between Montana and Alta avenues, from the 800 to the 1100 blocks, were started all within a few hours of each other.

Shortly after midnight, Santa Monica police and fire departments responded to the 1000 block of Fourth Street for a dumpster fire. One block to the north, police found several more smoldering dumpsters. SMPD officers saturated the area, looking for Sneed, who was described by several witnesses.

In less than an hour, police saw a man matching Sneed’s description at 11th Street and Alta Avenue. He was arrested after the evidence against him was found by police. Police wouldn’t say what the evidence was.

Sneed gave police a fake name but was later identified through fingerprints. He was booked for arson and is being held with no bail because of a parole violation. Sneed apparently was previously convicted of the arson of a inhabited structure, police said.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 2, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090203.pdf?ref=smdp.com)