L.A. Arsonist Sparked by Mom’s Arrest

L.A. Arsonist Sparked by Mom’s Arrest

Harry Burkhart observed as his mother was arrested last week, Dec. 28 on a provisional arrest warrant from their native land of Germany. Two days after his mother’s arrest he began a series of arsons that terrorized Los Angeles, police said.

Burkhart lived with his mother above Elady's shop on Sunset Boulevard. Elady said he was stunned that the man was the suspect in the torching of vehicles and homes, some just steps away from their home. The fires caused an estimated $3 million in damage.

Some neighbors described Burkhart as a loner who loitered around the busy commercial strip at night. But Elady said otherwise, stating that he was someone who spoke three languages and cared for a sickly mother who had trouble walking.

Burkhart was taken into custody Monday after authorities received a tip from federal officials who recognized him in a security video that showed a ponytailed man emerging from a garage where a car was set in flames. Burkhart is being held without bail.

Provisional arrest warrants are normally issued when there are criminal charges pending overseas against someone. It still isn’t known why Germany wanted the mother.

The series of fires appeared to have stopped with Burkhart’s arrest. The fires caused an estimated $3 million in damage, but there were no serious injuries.

Posted by James Fried on Thursday January 05 2012, 5:46 AM EST. Ref: Yahoo. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Nation. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0