KTLA

Arrest made in West Hills flag burning case

A man was seen lighting an American flag on fire in front of a home in West Hills, Los Angeles, CA on Oct. 21. 2023.

A 31-year-old man has been arrested for setting a United States flag on fire in West Hills in what authorities have determined was not a hate crime.

Kevin Miller was taken into custody on Monday and booked into the Van Nuys Jail on an arson charge, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Bail was set at $250,000.

The incident occurred Saturday evening at a home in the 23000 block of Welby Way.

Home surveillance video shows a man walking onto the victim’s property, igniting the flag with a lighter, and then walking away.

A man was seen lighting an American flag on fire in front of a home in West Hills, Los Angeles, CA on Oct. 21. 2023.

A passerby saw the fire and quickly extinguished it with a garden hose before it could spread to the home.

Investigators initially believed the incident may have been motivated by hate because the homeowners, who are Jewish, have a Mezuzah attached to their doorframe. They have now determined that was not a factor.

Police say Miller has no prior arrests for arson.