An alleged Neenach fire-starter, who was caught lighting fires by a freelance fire photographer in the Neenach area, is expected back in court October 16.
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David Artiaga, 28, of Neenach, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in early August, officials said.
Artiaga’s case began in Department 95 of the Los Angeles County Superior Court system, where attorneys held several hearings to determine whether Artiaga is competent to stand trial.
The process for determining competency is lengthy and involves several hearings and status reports, according to a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokesman.
Freelance fire photographer Bernie Deyo said he was having dinner with a friend when they saw the smoke and drove out to it. They reported it to authorities right away.
Deyo and his friend, Jeff Zimmerman, 54, of Neenach, made it to the scene within minutes and saw a man — who appeared to have suffered burns — lighting multiple fires in the open field.
“We immediately tried talking with him and he started talking gibberish,” Deyo said. “We thought it’d be best until we left him alone until first-responders got there.”
Deyo said he recorded the event over a social media app called Periscope — which live streams videos — until his phone battery died.
“It’s such a remote area, and arson is such a hard crime to prove,” said Deyo. “I thought if I get video of this guy, they’ll know who they’re looking for and there’s documentation of the crime actually occurring.”
The two were later recognized by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station for documenting the reported crime.
From a previous story: LASD Recognizes Photographers Who Captured Arson Suspect On Camera
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