Glendale man charged with attempted murder after intentionally setting fire to homeless encampment
GLENDALE, Calif. - A Glendale man has been arrested for arson after police say he set fire to a homeless encampment while a man was sleeping under cardboard boxes.
The suspect has been identified as 32-year-old Richard Smallets, he remains in jail with bail set to $1 million.
Richard Smallets, 32,
Officers responded to the area of Harvard and Brand Avenues around 1:20 a.m. on September 12th to assist the fire department with a small fire burning on the sidewalk.
The Glendale Fire Department soon arrived on scene and extinguished the flames.
Police say surveillance video from a nearby business shows a man intentionally setting fire to the cardboard boxes and then taking photos of them.
Smallets was eventually located at Central Park and questioned by authorities before being taken into custody.