HOLLYWOOD, CA – A dramatic scene unfolded early Friday morning at a Mobil gas station on Santa Monica Boulevard, where a homeless woman was caught on surveillance footage setting a parked car ablaze. The incident left three people injured, one of them critically.
The fiery episode began around 4:30 a.m. when the woman, known to frequent the area, doused a delivery driver’s vehicle with a flammable liquid and ignited it. The car’s owner, Anderson Martinez, a 21-year-old Uber Eats driver, expressed disbelief at the random act of destruction. “I’ve never seen her before. I was asleep at home when it happened,” Martinez said, noting his reliance on the car for his livelihood.
Witnesses reported that the woman, who has been seen making angry outbursts in the neighborhood, seemed agitated as she attempted to reignite the flames with lighter fluid after an initial attempt was thwarted. Friends of the gas station owner confirmed that he tried to extinguish the fire, further provoking the woman.
The situation escalated as the fire spread, threatening nearby vehicles, including a truck owned by a friend of Martinez. “My friend’s car was catching on fire, and my brother’s car was right next to it. The whole thing could have exploded,” the truck owner recounted, emphasizing the potential danger to the gas station and its surroundings.
Emergency services responded swiftly, with police arresting the woman at the scene. Firefighters managed to control the blaze before it could reach the gas pumps, averting a possible disaster. The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the incident and the involvement of the woman, who remains in custody.
Residents in the area expressed concern over the increasing incidents involving the homeless population and called for more support services to address mental health issues. As the community grapples with this unsettling event, Martinez faces the challenge of finding a way to continue his work without a vehicle.
The gas station remains operational, but the charred remnants of the car serve as a stark reminder of the morning’s chaos. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward as the investigation continues.