A Compton man suspected of deliberately setting the fire that destroyed Pizzamania and four neighboring businesses in a South Whittier strip mall two years ago was detained Tuesday after Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at his home. The suspect, identified as Arreola, was booked at the Pico Rivera sheriff's station and is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail, even as the beloved 50-year-old pizzeria moves ahead with plans to reopen in the front area of the building that houses Maggie's Pub.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Arreola was formally charged on August 25 by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Target Crimes Division with one count of arson of a structure, which led to the issuance of an arrest warrant. Detectives believe Arreola may be responsible for other arsons, per the sheriff's department, and he is also under investigation by the Riverside County Fire Department in connection with an October 2025 arson fire in Riverside County, according to MyNewsLA.com.
The Compton operation involved deputies from the LASD Major Crimes Bureau-Fugitive Task Force, assisted by Arson Explosives Detail investigators, and MyNewsLA reports that Arreola was detained without incident. Whether he is tied to additional fires across Southern California remains an open question tied to the ongoing Riverside County probe.
How the Fire Started
The blaze that gutted Pizzamania was reported around 2:25 a.m. on September 10, 2024, at the strip mall in the 13500 block of Telegraph Road, where the restaurant had served Whittier families since 1973. Co-owner Warren Haines has said a nearby business surveillance camera captured what appeared to be a person purposefully setting the building on fire, a detail corroborated by KFI AM 640, which reported that security footage showed a suspect in dark clothing approaching Pizzamania's front carrying two containers shortly before flames engulfed the mall.
The fire ultimately engulfed five businesses within the mall, destroying or heavily damaging Pizzamania along with El Camino Family Restaurant, Sunshine Liquor, and Party Warehouse Discount Party Center. The destruction rippled beyond the pizzeria itself.
A Community Rallies Around Its Pizzeria
About 50 employees, many of them local high school and college students, were put out of work by the fire, according to the Times. More than 2,000 Pizzamania T-shirts were sold, and a GoFundMe was established for employees.
Co-owner Jim Barritt, who founded the restaurant with Warren Haines after leaving corporate jobs at Leprino Cheese in 1973, said he could not understand why anyone would want to harm so many people. Pizzamania grew over five decades into a neighborhood staple.
Rebuilding Plans Fall Through, Then a New Path Forward
Pizzamania's owners initially hoped to reopen on the same property. But Pizzamania announced on Instagram last month that unresolved issues with the property owner ultimately forced them to abandon that plan, and the landlord decided not to rebuild the original property.
Instead, Pizzamania announced its intent to restart business inside the building that houses Maggie's Pub. Pizzamania plans to operate in the front area of the building with a new pizza oven, while Maggie's Pub moves its own operations into the banquet hall to retain its pub and event business.
The new Pizzamania will be bigger than the original restaurant and will include an outdoor patio, though Barritt said the restaurant's return may still take time. The restaurant hopes to serve pepperoni pizza again by spring 2027.
Businesses may consider creating a disaster response plan and implementing a business continuity plan after a disaster.
What a Conviction Could Mean
Under California Penal Code Section 451, a conviction for arson is a felony punishable by up to nine years in state prison and may involve a fine of up to $10,000, plus a possible additional $50,000 fine, according to legal guidance published by the MacGregor & Collins, LLP Law Offices of Randy Collins. The extent of any connection to the Riverside County case remains under investigation.
The Whittier strip mall fire destroyed Pizzamania and its neighbors in September 2024. Two years later, the arrest closes a major chapter in the investigation even as the community waits to see how two long-running local institutions manage sharing a single storefront once Pizzamania reopens.
