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.

“He was avoiding the group following him,” Cortez told The Times. “He seemed to be telling them to pass him up. And then you can see in my video that someone started to chase him and he appeared scared.”

When deputies arrived on the scene, they found Martinez lying on the ground, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Witnesses said he surrendered and lay down on the ground.

“Wrong neighborhood, buddy,” someone said as deputies handcuffed him.

The group said they witnessed Martinez light a brush fire near Knapp Ranch Road and Woolsey Canyon Road and then followed him in a car as he tried to leave the area.

Residents showed Cortez videos recorded on their phones that allegedly showed the suspect setting brush on fire near their homes.

“Thank God there were no strong winds, because it could have gone so much worse,” Cortez said. “Given all the recent fires, communities and people are just so much more aware of these types of things now and they’re on high alert.”

California

What — or who — started the Palisades fire? Two leading theories emerge as investigation intensifies

For the last few weeks, a team of investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has worked out of a command post near a popular hiking trail, where officials believe the Palisades fire began around 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7.

Jan. 30, 2025

A suspect wearing dark clothing was spotted in the area around the time the fire started, the Sheriff’s Department told news station KNBC-TV. The person who reported the incident followed the suspect in a car as he tried to start a second fire, the news station reported. The Sheriff’s Department later clarified that witnesses said they only saw Martinez set one fire.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the 24000 block of Woolsey Canyon Road just before 4:30 p.m. A caller reported smoke near the reservoir and the initial estimate was a 50-by-50-foot spot fire, according to LAFD spokesperson Lyndsey Lantz.

Firefighters on the ground and in the air were able to contain the blaze with additional help from the L.A. County Fire Department.

Martinez is being held on $75,000 bail at the Lost Hills sheriff’s station. Authorities say there was a warrant out for Martinez’s arrest, but did not provide any additional details. He’s due to appear in criminal court on Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the incident can call the sheriff’s Arson/Explosive Unit at (323) 881-7500.