One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
NoHo Arson Suspect is Ex-Marine With Record of Setting Fires in Japan
The man thought to be behind a series of fires in North Hollywood is Kurt K. Bille, a 34-year-old ex-Marine who was convicted for setting a rash of high-profile fires in Japan a decade ago, reports L.A. Now.
Billie was arrested when he was spotted setting a mobile home parked on the 7300 block of Farmdale Avenue in North Hollywood. In the past few weeks, a section of North Hollywood was the burn zone for a series of deliberately-set blazes, involving cars, mobile homes, and apartments, some set one after the other in the overnight hours.
When the arsonist's tally grew to about 18, The Los Angeles Fire Department’s Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section teamed up with the Los Angeles Police Department to further their investigation.
Billie's past includes serving a stint behind bars in Japan for setting "seven restaurants and bars on Okinawa in two separate arson attacks in January 2001 when he was a 24-year-old Marine lance corporal stationed at Camp Hansen." He pleaded guilty to the charges, and was sentenced to five years. The impact of the arson fires posed significant enough strain on U.S. relations with Japan to prompt the military to explore possibly relocating the base.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
