When the half-century-old neighborhood staple Pizzamania burned to the ground, the Whitter community reacted with an outpouring of grief.
Then, when residents found out that someone may have intentionally torched the building, their sadness turned to anger.
Now, nearly two years to the day when the September 2024 fire roared through, authorities have arrested a suspect in connection to the blaze.
A man identified only as “Suspect Arreola” was detained Tuesday after L.A. County sheriff’s deputies served a search warrant at his Compton residence.
An arrest warrant was issued last month after the L.A. County district attorney’s office charged him with one count of arson of a structure, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
He is also suspected of an October 2025 arson in the city of Riverside, and detectives believe he may be responsible for others, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Arreola was booked at the Pico Rivera sheriff’s station and is currently being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Tuesday’s announcement brings a long-awaited update to the Whittier community, where Pizzamania had served families in a strip mall in the 13500 block of Telegraph Road since 1973. The fire was reported around 2:25 a.m. and engulfed five businesses within the mall.
“I couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to do that many people harm,” said Jim Barritt, who co-owns Pizzamania with his business partner, Warren Haines. “We were going on our 52nd year. It was pretty tough to take.”
In the aftermath of the blaze, Haines told The Times that a surveillance camera from a nearby business had captured what appeared to be a person purposefully setting the building on fire. The disaster put about 50 Pizzamania employees out of work.
Barritt said news of the arrest came as a welcome surprise Tuesday.
“If he’s guilty, I would like him to be put away,” said Barritt. “[The fire] caused a lot of grief for a lot of people.”
The arrest also comes just after the restaurant announced its intent to restart business inside the building that houses Maggie’s Pub in Whittier.
“Maggie’s isn’t going anywhere — same great food and drinks, same banquets,” Pizzamania announced on Instagram last month. “We’re just pulling up a chair beside them and firing up a brand new pizza oven. Two local favorites, one roof.”
Initially, Barritt and Haines had hoped to reopen on the same property, but said they ultimately had to look at other locations after the landlord decided not to rebuild.
The new Pizzamania will operate in the front area of the large Maggie’s Pub building, while the pub will move operations into the banquet hall, Barritt said. He noted that the new restaurant would be even bigger than the original and feature a lovely outdoor patio space.
The hope is to be serving the community piping hot slices of pepperoni pizza by spring.
“While we are relieved that justice is being served, we are thrilled that this news is coming while we have a plan in place to return to the community,” the restaurant said on Instagram on Tuesday. “The wheels of justice may turn slowly, and our return may still take time, but things are always moving in the right direction.”
Times staff writer Salvador Hernandez contributed to this report.
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