SANTA MONICA—On Sunday, June 14, an unidentified male suspect allegedly started four separate brush fires in the Pacific Palisades region. He was spotted by local residents setting the hillside on fire. Bystanders captured photos of his license plate, which authorities used to help track down his Nissan Versa.
The automatic license plate readers used by the Los Angeles Police Department spotted the suspect in Santa Monica on Monday, June 15. The technology uses high-speed cameras and software to instantly identify suspects associated with crimes. Officers conducted the following maneuver rather than a high-speed chase, and the suspect was taken into custody without incident.
This comes 18 months after the catastrophic fire that claimed the lives of 12 people and led to the destruction of over 6800 structures in the Pacific Palisades as a result of the Palisades Fire in January 2025. The community is still rebuilding, and each threat is taken seriously by the city and its residents.
The case has been presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigators for further review.
