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Homeless man arrested after five bodies found in burned building

By Shawn Price

LOS ANGELES, June 14 (UPI) -- Police arrested a homeless man Tuesday after five bodies were found in the wreckage of a Los Angeles building that burned down the night before.

Police believe Johnny Sanchez, 21, intentionally started the fire in a dispute with others who also living in the building, Los Angeles police Capt. Billy Hayes told reporters. Sanchez, who police said has a record for domestic violence and drugs, is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

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Three people were rescued from second-story windows of a vacant former medical building, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Peter Sanders said in a statement. A "person of interest" was detained as a possible arson suspect. He was hospitalized and then, according to police, arrested.

A body was found in the remains of the structure Monday, with the bodies of two men and two women, found Tuesday. All appeared to have been homeless, officials said.

Nearly 150 firefighters needed more than two hours to put out the blaze, authorities said.

It was the third fire in the building, which has been vacant since last year, witnesses told the Los Angeles Times.

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