Deputy Sara Rodriguez said Andrew Clark, 35, has been booked on those charges and is being held in jail in lieu of $1.25 million in bail.
Clark is being charged in the murder of Eric Von Young, 53, an apparently homeless man who was inside the 9080 Santa Monica building when the fire occurred. He was arrested last night at the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station.
Young was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for smoke inhalation before his death, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The vacant building where the two-alarm fire occurred is known as the Jones Dog & Cat Hospital. The building, whose facade was redesigned in the 1930s in the Streamline Moderne style, is slated to be demolished for construction of the Melrose Triangle project. The L.A. Conservancy has filed a lawsuit to block the demolition.
The arrest will be presented to the L.A. County District Attorney on Monday at the Airport Court building at which time the D.A. will decide what charges to file.
Any new info on Andrew Clark and/or other suspects? I figured this story would be updated after the case was presented to the DA this past Monday.
All these haters with their irresponsible wild speculation from the comfort of their keyboard. Told you so! Interesting that his bail is higher than the other dude. #streamlinemoderneSMBisadog
If someone commits arson (whether with a motive, or as a firebug) and someone dies, the charge is murder, even if that wasn’t the intention). The question of the motive for setting the fire of course is going to be interesting. Too common a name for the accused to likely be able to track down much info. Curious they were able both to determine it was arson and find a suspect.
This information is incomplete… Who is Andrew Clark? What was the suspected motive? What is his relation to the victim? What is his relation to the building?
The Sheriff’s Department said it has no additional information to make public.