LOS ANGELES?? Authorities investigating a string of arson attacks in Los Angeles were questioning "a person of interest" early Monday, as firefighters tackled a dozen new fires.
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"A person of interest has been detained and is being questioned," said Erik Scott of Los Angeles Fire Department in an announcement on Twitter.
"It is too early to speculate if this person responsible for spree arson fires," he added.
Department spokesman Capt. Jaime Moore says 10 of the latest blazes occurred at carports and garages in Los Angeles and two were in West Hollywood.
"The last one was in West Hollywood," he told told the LA Times, which reported that the first of the latest round of fires broke out shortly after 1:30 a.m. PT (4:30 p.m. ET) at apartment carports in the Laurel Canyon and Hollywood areas.
At least 43 fires
Officials said Sunday that they have linked at least 43 fires to a series of arsons that began Friday morning in Hollywood.
At a news conference Sunday morning, officials said many of the fires have been started in cars and in some cases spread to carports, garages and apartments.
Video: More fires hit Los Angeles (on this page)Police distributed DVDs on Sunday featuring footage of a person of interest. It was unclear if this man was the person detained early Monday or not.
NBC Los Angeles, which posted a video including the surveillance tape footage, said the man in the video was described as white, 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-2 with a ponytail and dark, receding hair. He is in his late 20s to mid-30s.
The man is wanted for questioning in connection with the rash of arson blazes, said Officer Sara Faden.?
He was seen on video Saturday after emerging on foot from inside an underground parking structure on Hollywood Boulevard where a car fire was reported.
Faden said investigators are asking for the public's help in identifying the man on the video.
Detectives spent early Sunday analyzing security video camera footage and following up on other leads after a half dozen more vehicles were set on fire on New Year's Eve.
The outbreak of arson fires has left a trail of smoldering debris in Hollywood, West Hollywood, North Hollywood and the Fairfax district of Los Angeles since Thursday.
A reward of $60,000 has been offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist.
Detectives served a search warrant at a home in the San Fernando Valley, Det. Gus Villanueva said Sunday. Several interviews were conducted, but no arrests were made.
"They are working on hundreds of clues, interviewing dozens of witnesses, picking up countless pieces of evidence," police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said of the detectives.
Authorities haven't said how the car fires were sparked or what was collected at the crime scenes. They were unsure if the rash of fires were the work of one arsonist or multiple people or copycats.
There have been no injuries.
Extra patrols were out in force on New Year's Eve. One of Saturday's attacks occurred at the Hollywood and Highland entertainment complex, a popular tourist destination and hotspot for holiday revelers. Firefighters responded to a report of a small car fire in a parking structure that was out by the time they arrived.
Firefighters routinely are called to put out burning cars, but this recent spate has been unusual because of the frequency and location of the fires. Crews have been responding to other emergencies despite the focus on solving the fire arsons, fire spokesman Erik Scott said.
Police urged residents to check their cars for any signs of tampering and take simple precautions such as locking their cars, keeping garage and carport lights on at night and reporting suspicious activity.
"We are not going to rest," Los Angeles Fire Department assistant chief Pat Butler said Sunday at a joint police-fire news conference. "We are going to work tirelessly."
Police officials were working with Sheriff's Department detectives, city and county fire investigators and members of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Msnbc.com staff and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45846126/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
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