they arrested one of these bums

[h2fan]

WEST COVINA, Calif. (Sept. 13) - Federal agents arrested a 25-year-old man for investigation of arson and vandalism that caused $1 million in damages last month at a Hummer dealership, police said.

Joshua Thomas Connole, of Pomona, was arrested at home early Friday, said Cpl. Rudy Lopez, a West Covina police spokesman.

Fires that broke out Aug. 22 gutted a parts warehouse and destroyed 20 Hummer H2 sport utility vehicles at a West Covina dealership. Another 20 Hummers and several Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs were badly damaged by fire and spray-painting.

Three other dealerships and at least four privately owned vehicles in the area also were damaged during the vandalism spree.

Words such as ''ELF,'' ''Fat, Lazy Americans'' and ''I (heart) pollution'' were painted on the SUVs.

''ELF'' stands for Earth Liberation Front, a loose association of militant environmentalists. The group, which has taken responsibility for other acts of arson and vandalism, claimed in an unsigned e-mail that the SUV fires were ''ELF actions.''

Lopez said it had not been determined whether Connole belonged to the group.

Connole was booked for investigation of felony arson and vandalism, Lopez said. He was being held at the West Covina Police Department with bail set at $825,000. Arraignment was set for Monday.

Lopez said the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were continuing an investigation of federal crimes, which would be added to Connole's state crimes charges.

The FBI after the arson and vandalism spree released surveillance video from a Ford dealership in Duarte that showed two young men spray-painting SUVS.