Editor’s note: The names of the students in this article were removed for privacy reasons.
Two UCLA students were arrested on suspicion of setting fire to a discarded Christmas tree outside a building in the North Village Monday morning, police officials said.
University police arrested the 21-year-old and the 23-year-old after officers were called to 533 Landfair Ave. at about 12:30 a.m., said UCPD spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein in an email statement.
The Los Angeles Fire Department extinguished the fire, and the students were arrested after 1 a.m., officials said.
UCPD took the students into custody and transported them to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, where they were booked.
The students were set to appear in court on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Los Angeles Superior Court Airport Courthouse. Their bail was set at $250,000.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office reviewed the case and declined to press charges until further investigation, said Ricardo Santiago, a District Attorney spokesman.
The 21-year-old was released at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, and the 23-year-old was released at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department inmate database.
Compiled by Sam Hoff, Bruin reporter.
Mr Sam Hoff – Bruin editor,
Please note that the Los Angeles
District Attorney has currently rejected these charges and both accused
students have been set free without any bail. This again validates the aggressive
and exaggerative behavior of the UCLA police department and its officers.
Thank you