$10,000 Reward Offered in Series of Huntington Park Arson Cases

HUNTINGTON PARK —  This city is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of arsonists who set fires that killed one person and charred one business, several vacant buildings and residences this month.

An unidentified man died when he was apparently overcome by smoke after a Pacific Boulevard furniture store was set ablaze Jan. 15, police said.

The fire broke out in Fantasy Furniture shortly before 1 a.m. and spread to several vacant buildings in the 7100 block of Pacific Boulevard before being extinguished. The body was found in one of those vacant buildings, police Lt. Paul Catani said.

Demolition Planned

All of the damaged buildings were once owned by the Huntington Park Redevelopment Agency. The agency recently sold the properties to Seal Beach developer James R. Watson, who plans to demolish the structures and build a shopping center, redevelopment officials said.

Fantasy Furniture rented space in one building, but was preparing to move, officials said. Store owners reported that about $60,000 worth of furniture was destroyed in the fire, Catani said.

Investigators determined that a flammable liquid was splashed in the rear of the furniture store and ignited.

That same night, flames also broke out in the vacant Slauson Hotel in the 2700 block of Slauson Avenue. Damage was limited to several rooms and a hallway, officials said. Los Angeles developers Shimshon Kachanian and James Elist plan to demolish the hotel and build a shopping center, officials said.

Catani said investigators suspect that a transient staying in the vacant hotel may have built a fire to keep warm and then lost control of the blaze. If so, that would amount to arson, he said.

Car Set on Fire

The first of three residential fires was set on Jan. 8 in the 6300 block of Passaic Street. Catani said a car was set ablaze and flames spread to a carport and detached garage. There were no injuries.

Early on Jan. 14, fire burned a residence in the 6700 block of Stafford Avenue. About five minutes later, another fire charred a residence down the street. Both houses had extensive damage, but there were no injuries, Catani said. Investigators determined that the fires were deliberately set, he said.

Gustavo Cuevas, 19, of Huntington Park was arrested and charged last week with arson in connection with a car fire outside a Gage Avenue liquor store on Jan. 8, Catani said. The fire was set by a man who apparently was angered when the owner of Joe’s Liquor store refused to sell him liquor, Catani said. Owner Ja Ku Chun suffered a minor injury to her leg when she fell while attempting to move the burning car away from the store.

Catani said that anyone with information on the fires should call him at 582-6161, Ext. 281.