Kyle Holtgren owns one of six cars that were obliterated by an alleged arsonist last night on Laurel Canyon near Hollywood Boulevard. His black Audi Q3 was melted to its shell. The incident occurred about a mile away from where three vehicles were also destroyed in West Hollywood on Fountain Boulevard two days earlier.
“My car was front and center for all of it,” Holtren told WEHO TIMES. “It was surreal. It was around 11:30. I was sleeping. Then I heard explosions and screaming. People were yelling, ‘Fire! Fire!’ I thought, ‘is someone watching a movie?’ Somebody pounded on my door yelling at me to get out that there was a fire. My neighbors gathered outside of my building, and we had no idea what was going on. I didn’t know it was my car, or that the fire was coming from our carport.”
He says that his neighbor Emily was the first to see smoke coming out of the carport. “She went out there and she says she saw a guy with a two by four smashing cars, and there was already a fire started. He locked eyes on her and he started chasing her. She ran past the gate and locked him out and then she heard a loud explosion. The entire carport was engulfed by fire. It was definitely arson. The guy looked like he may have been high on meth.”
Kyle is trying to look at the bright side. He is grateful he has comprehensive insurance and that he is fully covered. He says the car was vaporized. An insurance agent asked him if there was broken glass and I said there was no glass it had melted. The tires were also completely gone. They asked me if the car was drivable, and I said no. They said they had to send a tow truck, but I told him they needed to send a vacuum cleaner.”
His neighbor does not have comprehensive insurance, so he is not fully covered.
The residential fire in West Hollywood destroyed three vehicles this past Tuesday. The carport burned twice in the same night according to reports and eyewitnesses. It is not yet clear if the fires are connected to the fire on Laurel Canyon where Kyle lives.
If you see something, say something. Anonymous tips on the alleged arsonist can be called into Crimestoppers at (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or by texting 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. Anyone with information on the crime can also drop a tip at https://www.lacrimestoppers.org.
We need a description! Homeless person started a fire at Sunset Fairfax in a garbage can yesterday 9/13 White male, tanned from exposure, dirty red/blond hair. around 5-11. Im sure those of us who walk regularly in the neighborhood know this person. Weho times please do more and get us a description.
Despite all the damage and mayhem caused,bottom line is nobody was killed or injured.We can thank our lucky stars that didn’t happen.
The gal who was watching the man was lucky she escaped this maniac who set the fire.I hope she was able to provide an description of this character.He needs to be stopped.
I read Mr. Holtgren’s conversation with his insurance agent and I got a laugh with the agent’s question about the car being drive-able.No, the car is incinerated,no chance can it be driven, LOL!
Would you be willing to change the headline? “Dude where’s my car” seems … slightly unsympathetic 🙁
Headline was used with Kyle’s approval.