Briefly in the news

-- Deepa Bharath

Newport Beach police have arrested three men in connection with a

Sept. 24 arson and commercial burglary incident that caused about

$500,000 in damage to property and more than $300,000 in damage to the

four-story office building in the 3700 block of Birch Street, officials

said.

Police arrested Jeffrey Alan Platt, 41, of Long Beach on suspicion of

arson and Tracey Linn Townsend, 37, and Michael Steven LaBounty, 34, both

of Garden Grove on suspicion of commercial burglary.

The motive is not known, said Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman.

“An investigation is ongoing,” he said. “We don’t know why they did it

or what they used to start the fire.”

The three men are being held in county jail. Platt’s bail was set at

$100,000 and Townsend’s and LaBounty’s at $12,500 and $20,000,

respectively.