SANTA MONICA—According to the Santa Monica Police Department, on Monday, March 11 at around 1:00 p.m., a homeless man attempted to break into a home in Santa Monica and proceeded to set a portion of the building on fire.
Firefighters arrived at the 1300 block of Pacific Coast Highway and immediately put out the fire. No injuries were reported during the incident. The home sustained damage as a result of the fire, but was limited due to the quick response from firefighters.
While firefighters worked to put out the blaze, the suspect was seen trying to escape by fleeing to the roof of a house nearby. Police were called and authorities closed all the southbound lanes and one northbound land of Pacific Coast Highway. Closures of the road were lifted within an hour.
The suspect was taken into custody and facing charges that include burglar and arson. The name of the suspect has not yet been disclosed to the public.