Neighbors chase down accused arsonist, California cops say. ‘They all helped out’

A man accused of lighting a brush fire in wildfire-ravaged Southern California has been arrested after nearby neighbors chased him down, sheriff’s officials reported.

Deputies found a group of onlookers detaining the man in Chatsworth at about 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

They told deputies they saw the man ignite a brush fire and followed him in their vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.

“He just started running,” resident Amilcar Fajardo told KCAL. “There were other guys there. They all helped out. We just stopped him and that was it.”

Deputies found the man prone on the ground after surrendering, the sheriff’s office said.

Alejandro Martinez, 41, faces a charge of arson, deputies told the Los Angeles Times.

“The residents were furious,” a photographer with Traffic News LA, told KTTV, noting the area was recently hit by one of the wildfires scorching Southern California.

The brush fire blackened about 100 square feet before being extinguished by firefighters, deputies said in the news release.

They ask anyone with information to call arson investigators at 323-881-7500.

Chatsworth is about a 30-mile drive northwest from downtown Los Angeles.

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Neighbors chase down accused arsonist, California cops say. ‘They all helped out’."