Armed woman sets fire to home in Chatsworth: LAPD
Los Angeles firefighters put out a blaze Friday at a home in Chatsworth, which is believed to have been set intentionally by an armed woman.
Around 1:50 p.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to the 9600 block of Laramie Avenue for a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.
After arriving at the scene, officers found a home burning and a woman in her 50s who they say was armed with a handgun.
Investigators said the woman had threatened her sister with a gun and intended to set the house on fire.
The single-family home was “well-involved,” Los Angeles Fire Department officials said, but firefighters were unable to attack the flames immediately due to the active scene involving the armed woman.
Officers made their way to the backyard where they spotted the suspect.
At some point, officers exchanged gunfire and the woman was struck by gunfire. An ambulance responded to the scene to treat the woman and LAFD crews started to put out the fire.
About 23 minutes after they began working to put out the flames, the fire was extinguished.
The suspect was transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Her identity has not been released.
A witness, Eric Vanlier, was near the area when he saw smoke and flames from the property.
“The police just started running towards the house,” Vanlier recalled. “I saw one of them with a rifle in his hand so I knew it was more than a fire. I was kind of in the line of fire, so I just got out of it as quick as possible.”
Some neighbors said the dispute between the sisters may have been over who would own the home that was set on fire.
“I know recently she inherited the house and there could’ve been some sort of dispute with her sisters over the inheritance,” said Nevada Smith, a neighbor.
No other officers or community members were injured during the incident. A nearby school was placed on lockdown due to the incident. The lockdown was later lifted as “no other community threats had been identified,” police said.
“The information provided is very preliminary and the investigation is ongoing,” said LAPD.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
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