Full Notification

On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, Marcel Melanson, a resident of Torrance, and a former employee of the City of Compton Fire Department, was arrested for Arson and Grand Theft, and is being held in lieu of $250,000.00 bail.

On January 4, 2012, the Compton Fire Chief requested the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau to assist their department with a suspicious fire at their fire department headquarters on Acacia Ave, in Compton on December 11, 2011. Investigators conducted a joint investigation with arson investigators from the Long Beach Fire Department and Montebello Fire Department.

Suspect Melanson is suspected of stealing Motorola radios worth thousands of dollars and selling them over the internet. It is suspected that he intentionally set a fire to the fire department headquarters to destroy evidence of the thefts.

After a lengthy investigation, investigators believed they had enough probable cause to submit the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and obtain felony filings for Arson and Grand Theft. Mr. Melanson was arrested at his residence on Wednesday morning, May 15, 2013, without incident.

Suspect Melanson was an employee of the Compton Fire Department for over 15 years. He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday, May 17, 2013, at 8:30 a.m., at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station. Or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org



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