Arrest made in deadly fire that burned RV with person inside in Exposition Park

EXPOSITION PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 46-year-old Los Angeles man has been arrested for murder for allegedly setting fire to an RV in Exposition Park, killing a man who was living inside.

On the night of Jan. 2, firefighters put out a blaze on a recreational vehicle parked near Browning Boulevard and Budlong Avenue.

They found the body of a man inside, later identified as 65-year-old Jerry Israel. Family members told Eyewitness News he lived in the RV with the woman who owns it.

Police say the suspect, Danny Reece, had a dispute with the owner of the RV a few hours before the fire. Reece was arrested on a misdemeanor after the dispute and then later released from custody.

Investigators believe he later set fire to the RV while Israel was inside.

65-year-old man dies in RV fire in Exposition Park

Witnesses reported seeing someone throw something at the RV right before it caught fire, police said. The suspect was last seen running away on foot.

Neighbors also recalled hearing a commotion outside before the RV went up in flames.

"Some people were arguing. Some guy came out of the motor home, chasing him with a stick... The guy must've came back again, called the police... they cuffed the guy, I didn't see much what happened after that," said Lionel Urbina. "A couple of hours after that, the whole camper was on fire."

Officers encountered Reece the next day walking near the crime scene. He was arrested and booked for murder, with bail set at $2 million.

On Thursday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed one count of murder.

The video in the media player above is from a previous report on this incident.