From the LA TIMES:

L.A. arson probe: Police examine immigration link to case

January 2, 2012 |  9:23 am

The "person of interest" detained for questioning in a string of arson fires is a native of Germany who may have been in dispute with federal immigration officials, sources said.

The man appears to have been battling the U.S. government over the immigration status of a relative, but the officials said they don't know if this played any role in the case. The Los Angeles Police Department is in communication with federal immigration officials concerning the dispute, the law enforcement sources said.

LAPD detectives found materials that could have been used to set fires inside the man's minivan, the sources said.[More]

The first thing I want to know is whether this "native of Germany" is an actual German. It's the last thing they're likely to tell us, until they publish his name.

In a possibly related note, someones been setting cars on fire in Berlin.