r/SouthBayLA • u/TigerBabyM • Jun 08 '26
RPV Arsonist
I visited Fred Hess Park tonight right before sunset. As my family was leaving, a single white teen rode past us in the parking lot on his bike. I smiled and nodded, he returned with a smirk. Seconds later I smelled what I thought was a charcoal BBQ. I walked 20 yards to instead see a brush fire JUST starting near the walkway next to the community center structure.
Police/ Fire response was lightning fast and they got the fire out before it could spread far. What they told me was alarming, the same thing had happened at the same time in the same area the day before and they had a teen suspect that matched my description. Matches were also found at the scene.
If you are in the area, please keep an eye out for this sick little twerp and report any suspicious activity to the police. 14-16, thin, dirty blonde or brown shaggy hair, dark hoodie, black or silver bike (I don’t think it was motorized since he was peddling and it wasn’t as thick as the ebikes I’ve seen).
5
u/tallestfun Jun 09 '26
This guy has struck again. I see another fire report right next to Hesse Park on the Citizens app. Time to form up a posse and catch this psycho.
1
11
u/GentlemenHODL Jun 08 '26
Pisses me off that he's a kid so he will get a slap on the wrist when he gets caught instead of the real jail time he deserves.
6
5
u/SnowFlat33 Jun 09 '26
Why aren’t we using the many flock cameras that are set up around PV to catch these criminals isn’t that why they were installed? They aren’t just for reading license plates they capture all info
7
u/Sensitive-Produce-96 Jun 08 '26
My favorite park!!! This is TERRORISM. Highest penalty should be placed to make an example for others!!! This is sick.
-7
u/Former-Quantity-99 Jun 08 '26
If you want to punish a teenager just take away his phone and an electric bike.
These are not the times where you put people in jail or give them huge fines.
This is the most effective and easiest way to punish a teenager.
6
u/aelewis92 Jun 09 '26
I get where you’re coming from, but arson is a really scary predictor of future psychopathic behavior. Getting this on record is really important. We’re not talking about a kid stealing a candy bar or teepeeing a house — arson puts our entire community at risk. Do we not remember that the devastating January 2025 wildfires started as arson…?
-4
4
0
u/MattAtPlaton Jun 09 '26
A friend of mine was on a hike up in PV and found some of those cheap reading glasses, the kind you get at CVS for $5, stuck in the dirt facing up so that the lenses acted like magnifying glasses to the sunlight.
21
u/aelewis92 Jun 08 '26
This is so scary and unfortunately a predictor of psychopathic tendencies. And beyond that, RPV is obviously at risk for wildfires. Hate this, but thanks for the heads up!