SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, November 4, the Santa Monica Police Department announced the arrest of an arson suspect on November 2. The SMPD reported at about 9:21 p.m., officers responded to a report of an abandoned dishwasher on fire on the alley side of a building in the 400 block of California Avenue (Alley 4). The subject who set the fire was still on scene.
Officers spoke with a witness who was still in the area and able to identify the subject as the arsonist. The dishwasher burned pieces of paper and other trash stuffed inside.
The subject, later identified as Joseph Jordon Zarzycki, 24, was arrested for 451(D) PC – Felony Arson: Property, and booked into the Santa Monica Jail. He was later released with a citation per the Los Angeles County emergency bail modification.
A motive for the incident has not yet been disclosed to the public.
Anyone with additional details pertaining to this incident or individual is strongly asked to contact Detective Chabot with the Criminal Investigations Division at 310-458-6679 or the Santa Monica Department’s Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.
