Arson suspect chased down by residents after allegedly sparking fire near Chatsworth Reservoir

A group of neighbors chased down a man suspected of starting a brush fire Monday afternoon near the Chatsworth Reservoir and held him until Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene.

Alejandro Martinez, 41, was arrested on suspicion of arson, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.

Video posted by video journalist Gabe Cortez on Instagram showed a man running down a road being chased by a group of residents in cars. Several members of the group physically detained Martinez.

By the time Cortez arrived at the scene, the fire was being put out by firefighters, but then he noticed the group of cars following the suspect down the road.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-04/l-a-arson-suspect-chased-down