West
Los Angeles wildfires: California firebug arrest caught on video as police warn of arsonists
FIRST ON FOX VIDEO: Police and residents of Azusa, California, a small city in Los Angeles County, teamed up Friday to stop a suspected arsonist in his tracks as at least three large wildfires threaten the region and winds are expected to pick up again.
With increased officers on patrol amid the wildfire emergency, Azusa Police Department Capt. Robert Landeros said the first responding officer quickly arrived on the scene at Pioneer Park around 11:30 p.m. after neighbors confronted the homeless suspect, who was still there when the first officer arrived.
“This was intentional,” Landeros told Fox News Digital on Monday. “Some of the neighbors confronted him, stopped him from setting an additional fire in the park.”
Video shows an Azusa officer handcuffing a man just steps from a billowing brush fire, which authorities say county firefighters quickly extinguished.
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Azusa police have arrested a 39-year-old homeless arson suspect, Jose Carranza-Escobar, just steps from a small brush fire that they say he admitted to lighting as Los Angeles battles multiple large wildfires. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Police have identified the suspect as 39-year-old Jose Carranza-Escobar, “a transient” whose last known address was also in Azusa. They said he admitted to starting the brush fire.
The arrest comes as firefighters continue to battle at least three active wildfires in Los Angeles County that have killed at least 24 and damaged thousands of homes and businesses.
Carranza-Escobar has been charged with three separate arson charges and is facing nine years in state prison if convicted.
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Azusa police have arrested Jose Carranza-Escobar, a 39-year-old homeless arson suspect, just steps from a small brush fire that they say he admitted to lighting as Los Angeles battles multiple large wildfires. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Landeros said Azusa police and partner agencies, including Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman’s Office, the county sheriff’s office, arson investigators in neighboring departments and the California National Guard are taking a “zero-tolerance” approach to arson as high winds and the dry climate fuel raging wildfires across Southern California.
“Everybody’s out there,” he said. “We’re watching. Even our citizens are.”
As of Monday night, 10 people have been arrested for looting and arson, Hochman said at a press conference. Nine arrests have been tied to looting in both the Palisades and Eden fires, with one person being arrested for arson.
According to Hochman, Damari Bell and Martrell Peoples are charged with first-degree residential burglary, looting and grand theft after both men allegedly stole more than $200,000 worth of belongings. If convicted, Peoples, a convicted felon, could face a potential sentence of life in prison due to California’s Three Strikes Law.
Travon Coleman, who accompanied Bell and Peoples out of a Koreatown apartment, was allegedly driving a second vehicle and sped off while Bell and Peoples were stopped, running a red light and crashing into another vehicle. Coleman is charged with one count of felony hit-and-run causing great bodily injury and is also facing a maximum sentence of life in prison under the Three Strikes Law.
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Azusa police have arrested 39-year-old homeless arson suspect Jose Carranza-Escobar just steps from a small brush fire that they say he admitted to lighting as Los Angeles battles multiple large wildfires. (Obtained by Fox News Digital)
The foothills outside town are a high-risk fire area and also have homeless encampments, where fires have broken out before, he said.
“We’re constantly conducting enforcement operations in that area,” he said. “Residents are obviously on edge when there are major fires.”
Strong winds are expected to return to the region this week, which could fuel the existing fires as crews continue to fight them. The winds can both fan flames and knock down trees and branches that can burn.
Pictured are 16 individuals arrested in Santa Monica for violating emergency orders – none of them are from the area, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. Six were found in possession of “burglary tools,” according to the Santa Monica Police Department, while others were charged with violations ranging from drug possession to parole violations. Two were in possession of stolen handguns; others were in possession of stolen materials, according to the department. (Santa Monica Police Department)
“Azusa PD urges everyone to remain alert as fires continue to affect the county,” Landeros said in a statement over the weekend. “We must be cautious of individuals who may enter our community with the intent to start fires.”
Last week, another group of Los Angeles residents stopped a homeless man seen carrying a blowtorch. He was taken into custody, but police said they didn’t have enough evidence to charge him with arson.
Video of that incident shows him holding a torch head and a yellow fuel tank before at least five residents surrounded him and tackled him to the ground.
Fox News’ Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.
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San Francisco, CA
Missing woman last seen in San Francisco found dead in Texas after 53 years
On Wednesday, San Francisco police closed the case of a missing woman who was last seen in the city in 1973.
Police said 27-year-old Cheryl Lanier was last seen in 1973 in San Francisco, and her initial missing person’s report was filed in 2010. For years, the department’s Missing Person Unit worked on the case, but it remained open and unsolved.
In July 2025, police said they received a tip out of Harris County in Houston, Texas, advising that a deceased “Jane Doe” could be Lanier. After a DNA analysis, police determined the “Jane Doe” was Lanier and closed the case after 53 years.
Denver, CO
Could the Dolphins Do Another Deal With Denver?
As the NFL draft moves farther into the rearview mirror and the offseason program continues to march on, linebacker Jordyn Brooks remains one of three significant Miami Dolphins veterans looking for a contract extension.
And while new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan said at draft time that running back De’Von Achane was not available for trading purposes, he hasn’t made the same declaration for either Brooks or center Aaron Brewer (while it’s fair to add that Sullivan wasn’t asked specifically about the latter two at draft time, he easily could have ended all speculation by adding them to Achane’s name).
Instead, what we have are Sullivan’s prior words that he always would listen if another GM were to give him a call.
That’s important to remember when it comes to Brooks when we hear or see reports around the league about teams in the market for a linebacker.
The Dallas Cowboys were one such team heading into the draft, but they acquired former starting San Francisco 49ers starter Dee Winters for a fifth-round pick, so it would seem they’re not longer shopping around.
Now comes a report that the Denver Broncos could be looking to add a linebacker to a defense they believe could lead them to a Super Bowl after they secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs last year before losing starting QB Bo Nix in the divisional round.
An NFL executive told Denver Broncos On SI that they could be looking to make a move that seemed to describe the Dolphins and Brooks to a T.
“The Broncos, I am certain, are going to be watching every cut for a terrific linebacker who can upgrade that,” the executive told Broncos On SI. “It’s the only weak link on their defense. If they could get one dominant player that another team couldn’t afford or doesn’t want to pay because they’re not in contention, they could be scary next year.”
The key line in the executive’s quote was about a dominant player that a team doesn’t want to pay because they’re not in contention.
Wow, might as well have stamped Brooks’ picture on that comment right there.
Brooks was dominant last year, for sure, when he earned All-Pro honors and it’s not realistic to expect the Dolphins to be in contention in 2026 after their roster overhaul that ended with more than 60 percent of the team’s salary cap going to players no longer around.
Under normal circumstances, extending Brooks would look like a no-brainer for the Dolphins given his ability, leadership and culture-setting characteristics, but he’s looking for a payday and he’s also going to be 29 years old during the 2026 season.
So instead of a slam dunk, the Dolphins have to ask themselves have kind of financial commitment they want to make to a linebacker who likely will be in his 30s when the team is ready to compete.
Brooks has no guarantees this year with a $7.8 million base salary and he’s set to become a free agent next offseason when his contract goes into void years. If a move were to happen with Brooks, it almost assuredly would take place after June 1 when the Dolphins would save $8.4 million with a trade.
Brooks currently has a $10.9 million cap number for 2026 and an extension likely would lower that number, which makes it very intriguing that it hasn’t happened yet or that the Dolphins did not restructure his contract to lower his cap number — the way they did with Achane and Brewer.
But any decision to trade Brooks would not be easy because the Dolphins, after all, do need good players and good leaders to establish a foundation in the first year of the Jon-Eric Sullivan/Jeff Hafley regime.
WHAT A TRADE COULD LOOK LIKE
If the Broncos indeed were to place a phone call to Sullivan at some point, there probably isn’t a strong likelihood that the Dolphins could get a replay of what they got when they sent wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to Denver this year.
That deal saw Miami give up Waddle for picks in the first and third rounds, with the teams swapping fourth-round choices to the benefit of the Broncos for 19 spots.
But Waddle is only 27, was under contract for three more years and plays a more premium position.
So thinking about getting a first-round pick for Brooks would not seem realistic, though maybe Denver would be willing to pay a bigger price if the Broncos indeed feel that the linebacker could be the final piece to a Super Bowl puzzle.
As was the case with the Cowboys, this is a situation to monitor because the idea of a trade involving Brooks really can’t be summarily dismissed until he signs a contract extension and we’re still waiting on that.
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Seattle, WA
Who will be the next Seahawks owner? One possible bidder invests in the 49ers
The Seattle Seahawks’ new ownership group may be just like the old one: a team of basketball owners.
In addition to being the first known bidders for the Seahawks, Mittal and Grousbeck were the only names listed on their letter of interest to the Allen Estate. Since Mittal lives in London, Grousbeck would likely be running operations from Seattle and live there part-time, as per Sportico.
But wait, there’s more.
Vinod Khosla, an investor in the division rival San Francisco 49ers, has also been named as a potential buyer. Last year, Khosla was one of a few nearby investors to purchase equity in the 49ers, with the team’s total valuation reaching north of $8.5 billion at the time. The specifics of the individual stakes were not made public, but Sportico reports that Khosla’s was the largest of the group.
The Seahawks are valued at just under $7 billion, but they will likely be sold for more. If Khosla were to purchase the team from Jody Allen, he would obviously need to sell his stake in the Niners. This type of move is becoming increasingly common in today’s NFL, which has seen former Pittsburgh Steelers minority owners David Tepper and Josh Harris acquire the Panthers and Commanders, respectively.
Harris, who bought a controlling interest in the Commanders in 2023, purchased the team from Dan Snyder for over $6 billion, the largest figure for such an acquisition for an NFL franchise. No matter who ends up purchasing the Seahawks from the Allen Estate, Harris’s record will surely be broken.
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