A map of the arsons allegedly committed by Harry Burkhart. One of the fires he allegedly set was within 100 yards of his apartment on Fuller.
Harry Burkhart, age 24, stands accused of one charge of felony arson. Photo courtesy Fox 11 News.
With those words, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky announced the end of nearly 100 hours of horror inflicted upon his constituents with the capture and charging of the LA and WeHo “carsonist.”
The alleged arsonist whose four-day reign of terror caused over $3 million in damage, destroyed hundreds of cars, burned dozens of structures and disrupted thousands of lives will face a federal judge in Van Nuys tomorrow on at least one felony charge of arson.
Harry Burkhart, the 24-year old German national apparently seething over his mother’s impending deportation, was arrested early yesterday morning after allegedly setting another 11 arson fires – two in West Hollywood – when a volunteer reserve Deputy Sheriff spotted his van on Sunset Boulevard just blocks from his apartment.
After pulling Mr. Burkhart over, LAPD officers spotted charcoal fire starters in his van.
In all, Mr. Burkhart is suspected of setting 53-55 fires between early Friday morning and early Monday morning .
No arson fires were reported overnight.
In a press conference last night, law enforcement and elected officials thanked the media for its coverage that provided the tip leading to Mr. Burkhart.
Mayor John Duran lauded the work of law enforcement, calling the experience a trial run of the area’s domestic counter-terrorism capabilities.
“We had a test run of what happens when we have a form of domestic terrorism amidst us. We had a test run that didn’t involve a loss of life, but we saw what worked.
“People watching out for one another, banging on each other’s doors, law enforcement working together, people who have pets escape going out to retrieve their neighbors’ pets, younger people taking care of older tenants in their building,” he said.
“We he a test run, amidst this urban evil, of what is goodness there is… when we were terrorized for four straight nights.”
Authorities said little about Mr. Burkhart’s motives, but acknowledged that the tipster came in the form of a federal immigration official who witnessed Mr. Burkhart’s violent reaction to his mother’s recent deportation hearing.
According to the LA Times, the State Department official told investigators that Mr. Burkhart “had attended a recent immigration hearing regarding his mother’s case and erupted in a tirade, spewing angry anti-American statements.”
The Times quoted a “senior LAPD official” who said Los Angeles detectives “were also investigating reports that either Burkhart or a family member was connected to an arson case in Germany.”
Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office said today that Mr. Burkhart’s mother, Dorothee Burkhart is in federal custody in Los Angeles after Germany requested her detention on an arrest warrant.
Apparently Ms. Burkhart is wanted on fraud charges related to commercial leases and a breast augmentation she failedto pay for in Germany.
She appeared at a deportation hearing today, and sources in the courtroom say she expressed concern for her son, who she said “is mentally ill.”
Neighbors at Mr. Burkhart’s apartment building above a Sunset Boulevard and Fuller hair salon (a stone’s throw outside WeHo) described Mr. Burkhart as “scary,” and standoffish, never responding to greetings and scurrying away from encounters.
The Times is reporting that a neighbor, Galina Illarionova, said the suspect pounded on her door Sunday claiming to have legal problems for which he wanted her help, but that he later changed his mind.
The hero of the day turned out to be a vigilant volunteer Deputy Sheriff who works for $1 a year, Shervin Lalezary, a Beverly Hills attorney by day.
Mayor Duran promised the reservist, a Teheran, Iran, native, “the best dinner on the Sunset Strip,” in thanks for his alertness.
Recently beset upon by jail oversight issues, LA County Sheriff Lee Baca took a small victory lap, saying, “I’m ecstatic that law enforcement gets to shine a little bit.”
Now the investigation goes into high gear, say lead investigators.
The damage to structured was extensive, especially to car ports or to apartment buildings above the parking. Photo by WeHo News.
“There’s so much more work to be done,” said LAPD Commander Andrew Smith.
He described a target-rich environment of evidence, including fires that failed to ignite and results of a search warrant served at the suspect’s home.
“We’ve got a bunch of clues, a bunch of leads, more people to interview, search warrants to execute. Our guys will be working around the clock. They’ll be working for many days on this case,” said Commander Smith.
The accused is in jail awaiting his arraignment; while he waits, the investigators are hoping to provide evidence enough of other arson fires to boost that single count past four dozen.
At the press conference, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said, “As we speak, search warrants are being served at this individual’s residence. “We will know much more tomorrow than we know today. We have to proceed with caution,” in compiling evidence to present the case to the District Attorney for formal charges to be filed.
Mr. Burkhart’s bail was set at $250,000, according to jail records.
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