Sherman Oaks arsonist arrested for allegedly starting a series of fires in 1 day
A suspected serial arsonist who allegedly lit eight fires in the Sherman Oaks area in one day has been arrested, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
On October 20, around 10:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a series of vehicle, structure, and trash fires in the area of Ventura Boulevard and Moorpark Street.
An investigation identified a Van Nuys man in his 40s responsible for the fires.
On Dec. 18, 42-year-old Ricardo Villanueva was detained for an unrelated traffic violation by Van Nuys police officers, and Villanueva was recognized by the officers from a wanted flyer from Major Crimes Division Detectives.
Villanueva was arrested for arson of a structure and arson of personal property.
The October fires involved a green Jeep Cherokee, a tan Chevy pickup, a black Infinite sedan, a blue Hyundai sedan and a black Audi sedan, all along Moorpark Street. Then, moving on to Ventura Boulevard, the suspect is believed to have started a mattress/ structure fire, and two dumpster fires, according to a map provided by LAPD.
The suspect also allegedly started a trash fire on Ventura Boulevard on Oct.19, and on an unspecified date, he was caught on surveillance video allegedly starting a trash can fire on Hartsook Street.
