Arrests Made in 'Suspicious' Brush Fire

by City News Service

Two men suspected of starting a small brush fire in an unincorporated area near Chatsworth in the west San Fernando Valley were facing possible felony charges Saturday.

Authorities were alerted to the fire, northwest of the intersection of Valley Circle and Roscoe boulevards, around 4:30 p.m. Friday said Lt. Matthew Squire of the the Los Angeles County sheriff's Malibu/Lost Hills Station.

Crews from the Los Angeles city and county fire departments, along with personnel from the Ventura County Fire Department, contained the fire to under one acre, Squire said, adding that no structures were threatened.

"Arson investigators determined the fire was suspicious in origin," he said. Witnesses told investigators they had seen two men in the area at the time of the fire.

Deputies conducted an investigation and ended up arresting Mario Giovanni Zuvic, 20, and Jameson Raymond Hunt, 21, on suspicion of arson, Squire said.

Both men were booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Station with bail set at $75,000 each, he said.

Anyone with information about the case was urged to contact the sheriff's Arson/Explosives Detail at 323-881-7500.