Cops say a man went on an arson spree along and around Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood early today.

He allegedly set at least four fires before he was nabbed by a good Samaritan and held for police, authorities said.

It all appeared to start …

… about 1:12 a.m. at 1234 N. Fuller Ave., where firefighters confronted a car far in the underground garage of an apartment building, said L.A. Fire Department Capt. Rick McClure.


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It was a challenge. The blaze ended up hitting four cars and spreading to the building's first floor before firefighters knocked it down at 1:32 a.m., he said.

By then, however, two other rubbish fires had broken out nearby — at 1444 N. Poinsettia Place and at 1500 N. Poinsettia Place, fire officials said. Then another: Firefighters had to respond to 7040 Sunset Boulevard at 1:27 a.m. for a trash fire.

By that point, however, the suspect allegedly tried to ignite the wrong object.

Pedro Mejia told KTLA News (via the Los Angeles Times) that he was pressure washing a sidewalk on Sunset when the suspect came up and tried to light up the twin fuel tanks on his rig. They were said to hold 30 gallons of diesel.

Mejia grabbed the suspect and held him for cops.

The alleged fire starter was named as 22-year-old Sunland resident Samuel Arrington.

The Times reported he might have been high on something. (Ya think?).

Arrington was being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.

[With reporting from City News Service / @dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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