(NewsNation) — Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Thursday that the penalty for the suspected arsonist considered responsible for one of the LA wildfires could be as high as homicide and could result in life in prison.
“Justice will be swift. It will be firm, and the maximum punishment will be sought,” Hochman said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “Banfield.”
“Our goal is to send this warning,” Hochman added. ”Whether it’s looting, these internet scams, robbery or future arsons. … the day and age of a DA’s office standing on the sidelines is over. We want to bring justice, and we will.”
The Kenneth Fire, which erupted close to homes in the area of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, is now considered a crime scene.
Investigators believe the fire may have been purposefully set, and it was citizens who helped detain the suspect. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Sean Dinse informed NewsNation’s Brian Entin that one person is in custody.
The Kenneth Fire is just one among five wildfires ravaging LA County. The fire was first reported around 2:30 p.m. in an area of dry brush in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve, north of U.S. Highway 101.
The Kenneth Fire has burned over 900 acres and is 0% contained.
At least 20 people have been arrested for alleged looting this week during the wildfires.
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger has also warned that looters in the fire zones will be held accountable.
“There is no excuse” for such behavior, Barger said on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “Thank God we’ve got a district attorney that recognizes we will prosecute people who break the law.”
Barger said she’ll make sure L.A. District Attorney Nathan Hochman “gets all the resources” to prosecute looters “to the fullest extent of the law.”
