No suspects in three of last year’s blazes
By ROBERT FATURECHI Special to the Daily Press
Their motives vary — revenge, spite, a craving for attention.
They set fire to bathrooms, cars and buildings intentionally, and though few are ever prosecuted, arsonists have taken their toll on local firefighters, businesses and City Hall, as at least four arson fires have hit Santa Monica over the course of the last fiscal year, from July 2004 to June 2005.
“Sometimes people are just pyromaniacs and get satisfaction in setting fires,” said Santa Monica Fire Marshal Jim Glew.
Some of the local spots set ablaze by arsonists this past year include parking structures No. 2 and No. 5, along with a commercial building on Lincoln Boulevard and a car parked in a Berkeley Street carport, Glew said, adding that the four blazes have resulted in more than $30,000 in damages.
Though the crime wreaks a costly burden on its victims, many arson case investigations fall flat, as much of the physical evidence burns down with the crime scene itself.
“The crime of arson is one of the hardest to determine because you actually need someone to watch it go down,” Glew said.
Glew attributes the low prosecution rate to society’s lax attitude toward the crime, which is a felony in California.
“Society, for some reason, just looks at arson differently from other crimes like murder and rape,”
Glew said. “And the judicial system doesn’t view arson as a serious crime either.”
Of the 32 fires last fiscal year, four were deemed arson, a yearly total Glew said is typical. On average, about 30 percent of arson cases in Santa Monica end in conviction.
Most arsonists are young men under the age of 25, and their motives vary from revenge to envy to hatred.
One profile Glew described is the “hero” arsonist, who sets fires, puts them out and basks in the attention he gets for his “good deed.”
One of the four Santa Monica spots struck by arsonists — a bathroom in parking structure No. 5 — is still feeling the effects of the fire, though nearly six months have passed since the Feb. 22 blaze.
“It’s been closed for some time, and it’ll remain closed for some time,” said Kathleen Rawson, the executive director Bayside District Corp., adding that the claim with the insurance company is ongoing.
The fire in the parking structure No. 5 bathroom was especially costly — rounding out to $20,000 — because the flames spread to the room adjacent to the bathroom, where Bayside stores many of the kiosks that line the Third Street Promenade.
Along with light fixtures and paneling in the bathroom, many of the kiosks suffered smoke and water damage, Glew said.
Police took a suspect into custody, after receiving eyewitness accounts, though it’s up to the district attorney whether to prosecute, Glew added. Police have not rounded up any suspects for the other three arson blazes, Glew said.
“You can’t measure the impact (of arson) because of the domino effect on the people who work (at the businesses affected),” Glew said. “Anytime a business is interrupted, it loses business and jobs.”
The bathroom fire was declared arson after firefighters ruled out all other possible accidental causes — chemical, mechanical, natural and electrical.
The typical arson investigation — ranging from a few hours to several days depending on the extent of the fire — entails interviewing eyewitnesses, eliminating accidental causes and scoping out the scene for ignitable fluids that could have been used to start the blaze.
Out of the 16 fires whose causes were left undetermined, few very likely were started by arsonists, Glew said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 12, 2005. Read the original PDF.