Long Beach
Fire Department

Over the last few weeks, the Long Beach Fire Department Fire Investigations Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Arson Unit Task Force have been working diligently following up with various leads relating to a string of fires in the Belmont Shore and Naples area of Long Beach, California.

On Saturday, June 16, 2018, two arrests were made in connection to these fires, including a fire that occurred at Naples Elementary School in which damage was sustained to an exterior classroom. Two suspects were arrested and taken into custody. The arrested suspects include a 14-year-old male Juvenile from East Long Beach and a 14-year-old male Juvenile from Naples Island. Both suspects were booked in to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.

On Tuesday, June 19, 2018, an additional arrest was made in connection to these fires.  The third suspect is a 14-year-old male Juvenile from Naples Island.  He was booked in to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.  As additional warrants were served, the information collected linked all three suspects to fires that included the June 12, 2018 3rd Alarm fire at Dogz Bar and Grill where a firefighter sustained second degree burns to both hands.

The five fires that the three suspects were charged with include; three trash fires with one fire that damaged a fence, one palm tree fire, and the fire at Dogz Bar and Grill where conservative damage estimates are at $160,000.  The investigation into the connection to the sixth fire that occurred at Naples Elementary School is ongoing.  Regarding cause, all six of these fires are listed as incendiary and were deliberately set between June 12th and June 16th, 2018. 

This investigation and the connection to each of these fires is ongoing.

Anyone with information about any of the fires occurring in or around the Belmont Shore and Naples area of Long Beach, California are asked to contact Long Beach Fire Investigators at (562) 570-2582.

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