Arson

Burbank police officers responded to a possible arson fire at 316 North San Fernando Blvd. at 11:40 p.m. on Friday, police said on Monday. Upon arrival, officers noticed a small fire at News Stand Etc., which was closed and secured with a roll-up metal door. The fire was burning through the door's rubber frame. Police believe someone lit a piece of paper on fire and threw it toward the door, said Lt. Eddie Ruiz. No suspects have been identified. Burbank firefighters arrived shortly after and extinguished the fire.

A convicted arsonist and sex offender pleaded guilty Thursday to felony arson after he was arrested for setting small fires outside the storefronts for In-N-Out and Sprint in downtown Glendale, police said. Gerald Harris, 71, is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 19 in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Burbank, police said. He was arrested for setting small fires outside a Sprint store on Brand Boulevard in Glendale last month and the In-N-Out near the Americana at Brand in December.

Authorities are investigating a fire at A+A Graphics as arson, officials said. The store sustained $200,000 in damage Monday, as a fire raged through two buildings on its property, officials said. The fire began about 6:45 p.m. at the business in the 3800 block of Ocean View Boulevard. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire, Sgt. Stefanie Fredericks said. The fire was extinguished about 7:10 p.m. Officials are investigating the fire as arson because it appeared the blaze started in several places, said Battalion Chief Ernie Golphenee of Los Angeles County Fire Station 82. Janine Marnien

Robert Chacon Next month a Superior Court Judge will decide how much more time a La Crescenta man can have to prepare for his trial on charges of trying to burn down his neighbor's home. The case against Gary Glazier slowed significantly when he decided to hire a new attorney. Glazier's attorney, Robert Shapiro, said he needed a "significant amount of time" to review the charges and evidence compiled against his client. "Honestly, we don't know enough about the case, and we need time to review," Shapiro said.

Antranik Khajarian's attorney argues for manslaughter in murder trial.PASADENA -- Jurors will begin deliberating today in the trial against a Glendale man accused of setting fire to his grandmother's room and killing her last March. Antranik Khajarian, 38, faces one count of murder with special circumstances of arson, one count of arson causing great bodily injury, one count of arson to an inhabited structure and one count of possession of flammable material, said Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Gary Glazier, of La Crescenta, is on trial for attempted murder, accused of twice setting fire to neighbor's home. FOR THE RECORD In Tuesday's article "Evidence grim in arson trial" and Wednesday's "Witness' words are questioned," the counts against Gary Glazier were listed incorrectly. He is charged with four counts of attempted murder, two counts of arson, one count of burglary and one count of possession of a flammable device. PASADENA -- Prosecutors presented evidence Monday that they say links a 62-year-old La Crescenta man charged with attempted murder to two fires set at his neighbor's home.

Testimony is expected to begin Monday in the trial of a 37-year-old Glendale man accused of killing his 94-year-old grandmother in March, when he allegedly set her room on fire, Pasadena Superior Court officials said. Antranik Khajarian faces one count of murder with special circumstances of arson, two counts of arson and one count of possessing flammable material for allegedly dousing Arpine Demerjian's room with gasoline, then setting it on fire. Demerjian died of smoke inhalation and burns.

Darleene Barrientos Investigators are calling a car fire an arson-related incident after several calls reported an explosion, a Glendale Police sergeant said. Several 911 calls to the department reported a possible traffic accident about 6:40 a.m. Sunday in the 2500 block of East Chevy Chase Drive, Glendale Police spokesman Sgt. Kirk Palmer said. Officers found what appeared to be a late-model, four-door BMW fully engulfed in flames. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion prior to finding the car on fire.

A man whose Glendale family reported him missing the night before he allegedly set fire to a brush-filled canyon in Angeles National Forest pleaded not guilty to arson and other charges Thursday in Pasadena Superior Court. Dikran Armouchian, 23, was found by hikers as he allegedly was building a fire in Eaton Canyon in Altadena on Oct. 28, the same week that fires scorched millions of acres around Southern California. Armouchian was standing next to a fire about 4 feet in diameter when Los Angeles County Parks officials and Sheriff's deputies arrived, sheriff's Det. Ed Nordskog said.

A convicted arsonist and sex offender pleaded guilty Thursday to felony arson after he was arrested for setting small fires outside the storefronts for In-N-Out and Sprint in downtown Glendale, police said. Gerald Harris, 71, is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 19 in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Burbank, police said. He was arrested for setting small fires outside a Sprint store on Brand Boulevard in Glendale last month and the In-N-Out near the Americana at Brand in December.

Police are looking for the public's help with details on a small fire which was illegally started Monday at Montrose Community Park. An officer used an extinguisher about 8:15 p.m. to douse the fire, which burned the inside of a trash can near a picnic bench at the park on the 3500 block of Clifton Place, according to the Glendale Police Department. Police discovered a small mound of charred pine needles on the picnic table, a lighter and 24-ounce Coors Lite beer can near the fire.

Burbank police officers responded to a possible arson fire at 316 North San Fernando Blvd. at 11:40 p.m. on Friday, police said on Monday. Upon arrival, officers noticed a small fire at News Stand Etc., which was closed and secured with a roll-up metal door. The fire was burning through the door's rubber frame. Police believe someone lit a piece of paper on fire and threw it toward the door, said Lt. Eddie Ruiz. No suspects have been identified. Burbank firefighters arrived shortly after and extinguished the fire.

Authorities across Southern California were beefing up patrols Saturday night, hoping to catch the person or persons responsible for more than 35 fires over the last two days. Los Angeles police and fire officials were trying to determine whether the fires were the work of one arsonist or several. Some officials believe it would be difficult for one person to have set all the fires but have definitely ruled out a lone arsonist, law enforcement sources told The Times. On Friday morning, 21 fires were started in a relatively small area around Hollywood and West Hollywood.

PASADENA — A Pasadena Superior Court judge declared a mistrial Thursday for four of 12 counts against a 46-year-old Glendale man accused of setting fire to his foreclosed home while his wife and children slept inside. Jurors were deadlocked on three counts of attempted murder and one count of arson after deliberating for two days in the trial of Brian Walder, Judge Suzette Clover said in court. Nine jurors voted not guilty, while three voted guilty on the four counts. The forewoman told Clover that the jury voted more than 20 times and continually came up deadlocked on the four counts.

PASADENA — Jury deliberations began Monday evening in the trial of a 46-year-old Glendale man accused of setting his foreclosed home on fire while his wife and two children slept inside. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Suzette Clover instructed jury members Monday that if they could not determine that Brian Walder committed arson with intent, he could not be found guilty of murder. Walder is charged with three counts of attempted murder, child endangerment, contempt of court and arson for allegedly setting fire to his patio on the 1600 block of West Mountain Street just after 3 a.m. Jan. 24, 2008, while his family slept inside.

PASADENA — The trial of a Glendale man who police say set his foreclosed home on fire while his wife and two young daughters slept got underway this week, with an arson investigator testifying Tuesday that he smelled gasoline at the scene of the January 2008 blaze. Brian Walder, 46, is charged with three counts of attempted murder, child endangerment and arson for allegedly setting fire to his foreclosed home on the 1600 block of West Mountain Street on Jan. 24, 2008, while his wife and children were sleeping, police said.

GLENDALE — Authorities have determined that the Station fire, which caused the death of two firefighters and sent hundreds of residents and animals seeking shelter, was caused by arson. An official at the Interagency Command Center confirmed that an arson investigation had been opened, but referred all other inquires to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore, who could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. The determination likely meant that the death Sunday of two county firefighters, whose vehicle overturned on a steep roadway in the Angeles National Forest within the fire zone, would be considered a homicide.

GLENDALE — Authorities have determined that the Station fire, which caused the death of two firefighters and sent hundreds of residents and animals seeking shelter, was caused by arson. An official at the Interagency Command Center confirmed that an arson investigation had been opened, but referred all other inquires to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore, who could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. The determination likely meant that the death of two county firefighters Sunday, whose vehicle overturned on steep roadway in the Angeles National Forest within the fire zone, would be considered a homicide.