One day after concerned residents alerted the media about a string of car fires in downtown Long Beach, a spokesperson from Long Beach Fire announced Wednesday that an individual matching the description of a person of interest had been taken into custody.
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Long Beach resident Chelsea James said her husband's truck was the first set on fire a few weeks ago. James told KNX News reporter Emily Valdez Wednesday morning, "I noticed that somebody had pried my gas cover open and just left it there. Kind of like you're my next target type of thing."
James's husband spoke with the arson investigator, who told him that the person of interest was caught by police at around 3:00 AM while attempting to open other gas covers in the community - setting off a car alarm.
Long Beach Police have identified the suspect as 31-year-old Long Beach resident Christian Portillo. They say he was in possession of a concealed dagger at the time of his arrest. His bail is set at $50,000.
Though officials say the string of car fires is suspicious, they are hesitant to consider them related until a full investigation is conducted.
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