When deputies arrived at Rayburn Road and Tierra Subida Road in Palmdale, they searched the brush area and found a broken glass bottle containing a partially burnt piece of cloth. The cloth had a strong flammable odor emitting from it. Fortunately, the brush did not ignite and there was no damage. Using the license plate number provided by the witness, deputies went to the Palmdale home of the registered owner. At the residence they found the registered owner of the car, Suspect Miguel Perez, a 20 year old Hispanic man.
Further investigation led deputies to a second suspect at his home in Palmdale, Suspect Floyd Sterling, a 21-year old African-American man. In their interviews with detectives, each suspect made incriminating statements. Both suspects were arrested for felony attempted arson and were booked at Palmdale Sheriff’s Station. Their bail is set at $75,000.00.
The Arson/Explosives Detail of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is handling the investigation. “The actions of the witness in this case were outstanding,” said Captain Mike Parker, Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau. “Something suspicious was seen, written down, and immediately called in to the sheriff’s department. By providing a good suspect description and car license plate number to deputies, without getting into harm’s way, the witness gave us the tools we needed to solve this case and possibly prevent future harm.” Partner to prevent or report crime by contacting your local Sheriff’s station or if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.