LOS ANGELES (KNX) – Fire officials said a homeless man was arrested Sunday in connection to a fire that left a historic South Los Angeles church destroyed and three firefighters injured.
Carlos Diaz, 23, was charged with arson of a structure, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. Officials said additional charges are pending.
"Initial information did not immediately reveal any evidence of an intentionally set fire; however, their persistence later uncovered security footage to help connect the dots,” LAFD said.
The fire at Victory Baptist Church broke just before 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 11. According to LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange, around 150 firefighters responded to the fire.
“Approximately 30 minutes after the arrival of firefighters, there was a structural collapse inside, trapping several LAFD members,” he said in a statement.
Three firefighters were injured, with two hospitalized for mild to moderate injuries.
Prange said it took crews an hour and 40 minutes to extinguish the fire.
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