A 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson of property and vandalism costing $400 or more on the 31500 block of Castaic Road on Saturday night, according to Deputy Robert Jensen, public information officer with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Deputies got a call for service for a man starting at fire at Habebe Cafe and Hookah Lounge at approximately 1 a.m., according to Jensen.
Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel were dispatched at 12:34 a.m. and arrived on the scene at 12:38 a.m. to an initial call of a commercial building fire, according to Geovanni Sanchez, spokesperson with the Fire Department.
Firefighters said they saw no smoke or fire, Sanchez said.
Upon arrival, deputies noticed the suspect throwing billiard balls and chairs to shatter the windows of the business and firefighters were extinguishing a fire in the parking lot, Jensen said.
The victim tried to call deputies, but the suspect took the phone and their paperwork, and threw it into the fire, according to Jensen.
One patient was transported to a local hospital, Sanchez said.
Witnesses at the scene observed the suspect shattering the windows of a second business causing over $6,000 in damage, with the suspect being positively identified on the scene by the victims and witnesses, Jensen said in a phone interview.
