Arson suspect who burned tree said he ‘liked the smell of burning leaves,’ another said she ‘enjoyed causing chaos’: LAPD [Video]

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — An arson suspect who was arrested Tuesday in Pacoima admitted he started a small fire that burned a tree “because he liked the smell of burning leaves,” according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell.

Speaking at a Wednesday morning news conference, McDonnell said officers responded about 5:15 p.m. to a radio call of a possible arsonist in the area of Glenoaks and Van Nuys boulevards.

A citizen had extinguished the fire and detained the suspect, who was then detained by police.

The suspect was booked on suspicion of arson. His name was not released.

Hours later, around 9:30 p.m., firefighters responded to multiple reports of a suspect setting multiple piles of trash on fire near the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood.