Actor David Spade, known for his role in Grown Ups, has taken to his social media platforms to offer a monetary reward for information that leads to the arrest of individuals attempting to ignite fires in Los Angeles, aiming to have them incarcerated.
Authorities announced on January 9 that a man had been apprehended, suspected of attempting to start a fire in Los Angeles, amid the devastation caused by the ongoing wildfires.
Residents in the Woodland Hills area, specifically around Ybarra Road, reported seeing the suspect allegedly trying to ignite a fire, prompting them to immediately notify law enforcement.
According to Fox 11 Los Angeles, the suspect was noticed riding a bicycle with a blow torch in hand, allegedly attempting to set fire to trash cans and discarded Christmas trees on the street.
The Los Angeles Police Department initially believed the suspect had intentionally tried to start a fire. However, on January 10, LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi clarified during a press conference that there was insufficient evidence to charge the individual with arson, leading to his arrest for a felony probation violation instead.
Assistant Chief Choi stated: “After the interview and additional investigative steps, looking at some additional evidence that was present, they made the determination that there was not enough probable cause to arrest this person on arson or suspicion of arson.”
“The investigation is ongoing. I would like to thank those community members that were involved […] in bringing this person to our attention,” he added.
Since then, comedian David Spade has made a public appeal to Los Angeles residents, offering a reward for anyone who reports individuals attempting to “light fires out there.”
In an Instagram story, Spade remarked: “There’s guys lighting fires out there, make this s**t worse. They just caught somebody who we’re pretty sure was lighting fires, walking around with a blow torch, they let him go.”
He continued, “So if you can find someone lighting a fire and you can catch somebody and you can get the cops to bust them and throw them in jail, I’ll give you 5,000 bucks.”
“So keep your eyes peeled, do you what you can out there. Don’t fake it though, no staging. Let me know,” Spade emphasized.
The offer quickly gained attention and reactions from the public.
One Twitter user commented: “That’s awesome.”
Another added: “True patriot.”
A third remarked: “Good man.”
While a fourth humorously noted: “Did not have arson bounty hunter vigilante David Spade on my bingo card.”
To aid those impacted by the wildfires, contributions can be made to the Red Cross online, by calling (800) 733-2767, or by texting REDCROSS to 90999.