Tables turned on Los Angeles arson suspect in caught-on-cam takedown: ‘Wrong neighborhood, buddy’

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Arson suspect chased down by residents after allegedly sparking fire in Los Angeles County

A group of neighbors chased down a man suspected of starting a fire Monday afternoon near the Chatsworth Reservoir in Los Angeles, California. (Gabe Cortez, Instagram)

A group of residents stepped in and conducted a citizen’s arrest after spotting a man allegedly sparking a fire in the brush of their neighborhood in Los Angeles, as the region deals with the aftermath of wildfires.

Alejandro Martinez, 41, faces a charge of arson, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department.

Video posted by journalist Gabe Cortez on Instagram, and obtained by Fox News Digital, showed a man running down a road being chased by people in cars in a neighborhood in Chatsworth, a neighborhood in LA.

The video captured concerned residents taking matters into their own hands and tackling Martinez. 

Wrong neighborhood, buddy! Wrong neighborhood!

— Neighborhood resident

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Residents in an LA neighborhood chased and tackled a suspected arsonist. (Gabe Cortez via Instagram)

Deputies found a group of onlookers detaining the man in Chatsworth about 4:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. (Gabe Cortez via Instagram)

Sheriff’s deputies arrived in the neighborhood following the citizen’s arrest.

When deputies searched Martinez, they found a lighter in his pocket, a small sum of cash and a car battery jumper kit. Footage showed authorities removing the illicit items from his pockets following the apprehension.

Deputies found a lighter in the suspect’s pocket, a small sum of cash and a car battery jumper kit. (Gabe Cortez via Instagram)

At one point in the video, Martinez could be heard protesting in Spanish: “No he robado nada, en serio” — “I haven’t stolen anything, seriously.”

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Brandon Taylor, a photographer with Traffic News LA, said that he was capturing photos in the area after he was alerted to a brush fire in the area.

“It just seemed a little strange that there was a guy there after a brush fire was reported just a quarter-mile up the road,” Taylor explained to FOX 11 Los Angeles. “And he’s in the bush doing something.”

After spotting Martinez in the bush, citizens went after him, leading to a swift apprehension.

A firefighter responds as a wildfire breaks out near the Pacific Palisades on the west side of Los Angeles during a weather-driven windstorm in Southern California on Jan. 7, 2025. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)

For the neighbors, the suspected arson hits home as many Los Angeles residents continue to pick up the pieces after their homes were destroyed by devastating wildfires.

“The residents were furious,” Taylor said. “They’ve gone through the Woolsey Fire, which started just a mile from there. With all the dry vegetation, they were really concerned about him starting another fire and losing their homes.”

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Authorities urge anyone with information about this case to contact the LA County Sheriff’s Department. Chatsworth is about a 30-mile drive northwest from downtown Los Angeles.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the LA County Sheriff’s Department for comment.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.