Las Vegas Jewish Center Arson Arrest

A man is under arrested with starting two fires at a Las Vegas synagogue on Monday night. Afshin Bahrampour is charged with four counts of arson and one count of burglary in connection with the fires at Chabad of Southern Nevada – Desert Torah Academy at 1261 Arville St.

Las Vegas Fire & Rescue responded just after 8 Monday night and found a car on fire. Firefighters saw heavy flames coming from the front end and engine compartment. The car was badly damaged and two other cars less seriously so.

As firefighters cleaned up after the car fire, people who had been inside came out and told them that there had been a mysterious waste basket fire around two hours earlier.

They had not called it in because there had been no damage.

Federal law requires that suspicious fires in houses of worship be investigated not just by the fire department but by the police department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

So, all agencies sent investigators to the scene.

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Investigators quickly zeroed in on Bahrampour who was in the parking lot of the shopping center across the street and arrested him.

Fire officials point out that only the prosecutors can determine if this was a hate crime and that classification has not yet been made.

Photo Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.