A 45-year-old man was taken into custody after a fire broke out and ravaged a two-story building in Los Angeles as police tried to investigate him for assault, authorities said.
The fire broke out Thursday night in the Westlake District building, which had small businesses on the ground floor and about eight residential units on the second floor.
A fire truck was already on the scene in support of the police operation when smoke became visible, Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said in a statement.
OVER 100 FIREFIGHTERS FIGHT MASSIVE FIRE AT LOS ANGELES APARTMENT COMPLEX, 1 INJURED
Police had evacuated the building before the fire, which was brought down by more than 100 firefighters in less than an hour, Stewart said.
Police Capt. Aaron Ponce said the victim of the alleged assault is the suspect’s sister, who broke into her apartment.
Firefighters battle a fire inside a two-story Westlake apartment building on January 26, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The officers found the door blocked and when they opened it they saw the man armed with a knife, Ponce said.
During a standoff, the man threw burning clothes and trash at police from a balcony, Ponce said.
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The man was eventually taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. His name was not immediately mentioned.
“The possible involvement of this patient in the fire is being investigated and no further information is available at this time,” Stewart said.
