LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Two 25-year-old men have been arrested on suspicion of setting a brush fire that burned 45 acres in the Eagle Rock area, allegedly in an attempt to kill people at a homeless encampment, it was reported today.
Bryan A. Araujocabrera of Pacoima and Daniel M. Noguiera of Eagle Rock were arrested about 7:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The arrests were made by detectives from the LAPD's Major Crimes Division and both men were booked on suspicion of attempted murder, officials said.
News of the arrests was broken by NBC4, which reported the suspects were taken into custody at a home on Hill Drive in Eagle Rock, just blocks from where the fire started Aug. 25 near a homeless encampment adjacent to the Glendale (2) Freeway.
Araujocabrera remains jailed in lieu of $1.116 million bail, while Nogueira posted $1 million bail and was released Sunday, according to sheriff's inmate records.
The LAPD did not release any additional details.
The fire began at 4:09 p.m. Aug. 25 near the 2900 block of Colorado Boulevard. Citing law enforcement sources, NBC4 reported that someone inside a blue pickup truck exchanged words with occupants of the homeless camp in the area then tossed an incendiary device toward the encampment.
Sources told the station investigators concluded the fire was set with the intention of killing the campers.
It took firefighters two days to fully contain the wildfire, which wound up jumping the Ventura (134) Freeway and threatened some homes, although none ultimately burned. The blaze sent a large plume of smoke visible across the basin, and forced the closure of the Ventura and Glendale freeways.