Valley Man Suspected Of Setting A Dozen Overnight Fires

LOS ANGELES, CA — A San Fernando Valley Man was arrested on suspicion of setting a dozen fires overnight in Burbank, investigators announced Tuesday.

Police arrested 31-year-old Tigran Gazdhyan, of Reseda, in the early morning hours Tuesday near the scene of a 12th fire behind a Starbucks in the 300 block of North Pass Avenue, according to the Burbank Police Department. The Burbank Police Department and Burbank Fire Department responded to a cardboard fire in the back alley behind the Starbucks and located Gazdhyan inside a nearby Vons shopping center. He was arrested and booked on suspicion of multiple counts of arson and probation violation.

All night investigators had been on the trail of an arsonist, setting dumpsters, bushes, and trash on fire. In all, a dozen small fires were reported between 10:20 p.m. Monday and 1:40 a.m.

"The fires were quickly extinguished to prevent any nearby structural damage and no injuries were reported," according to the Burbank Police Department.

"The locations of these incidents were concentrated to the southwest portion of the city," the Burbank Police Department said in a written statement. "Investigators are looking into the possibility Mr. Gazdhyan is also responsible for additional fires in the Toluca Lake area, under similar circumstances and time frame."

Gazdhyan was being held without bail.

Anyone with information about Gazdhyan or the fires was asked to contact Detective Cameron Mencuri at 818-238-3210.