Fires were started by a suspected arsonist at the El Camino College Bookstore loading dock and in the Chemistry Building on Sunday, Oct. 5, according to college officials.
The Gardena Police Department arrested 26-year-old Joshua Anthony Chavez near Marine Avenue at 3 a.m. Monday, Oct. 6 on suspicion of causing the fires.
Chavez is currently being held at $75,000 bail in the Torrance City Jail and was previously charged with a misdemeanor in 2018, according to the Inmate Information Center.
A fire at the Bookstore was reported to the ECC Police Department on Sunday at approximately 7:19 p.m., according to a Timely Warning notice.
ECC Chief of Police Matthew Vander Horck said the suspect attempted to break into the Bookstore before setting the fire.
Vander Horck said no structural damage to the Bookstore was reported except for impact damage to the store’s front glass, near the automatic doors.
At approximately 8:40 p.m., ECCPD received a fire alarm from the Chemistry Building, alerting it to the second fire.
“We didn’t have access to him [the suspect] at that point in time, we were concentrated on getting the fire put out [behind the Bookstore],” Kerri Webb, director of public information at ECC, said.
Black smoke from the fire visibly scarred the brick wall close to the cardboard compactor behind the Bookstore.
Combustibles in the recycling and trash bins including cardboard, paper and other recycling materials, were burned and plastic bins were melted.
Hardened pools of melted plastic visibly oozed over the stairwell’s edges.
Webb said it was “a big mess.”
The second fire is believed to have began in Room 112 and moved to Room 114 before the fire suppression system kicked in, closing the doors to contain oxygen once the smoke was detected.
“Room 112 and 114 were both damaged. Room 112 was heavily damaged. It’s basically a loss,” Webb said. “Everything is charred. That office … [is] totally done.”
However, due to the early stage of investigation, where the Chemistry Building fire started is not confirmed.
Both rooms belonged to faculty members and suffered significant smoke and water damage — about six inches deep — due to the Los Angeles County Fire Department‘s efforts.
The Chemistry Building is used as storage for different chemicals, and due to the potential hazard, the LACFD arrived on scene with hazmat suits.
Vander Horck said the ECCPD was able to positively identify Chavez through CCTV footage that showed a clear indication of his clothing.
“[Chavez] had broken into the Chemistry Building by breaking into the glass of these [campus building] doors, and because of the great camera footage, we were able to get a photo of him,” Vander Horck said. “The clothing he was wearing was very distinct.”
Chavez was seen wearing a blue vest with gray reflective tape, resembling an Amazon work vest.
ECCPD released these details to surrounding neighborhood agencies, including the Torrance Police Department, Gardena Police Department and the Inglewood Police Department.
There is no indication from the ECCPD that Chavez was enrolled as a student at this time.
All information regarding the arson incidents were sent out through Timely Warning email alerts that are sent “to inform the campus community about an incident that may pose a serious or continuing threat.”
Other damages include the keypad of a Coca-Cola vending machine in front of the Bookstore, which received partial burn damage, but the machine still functions with card purchases.
Carl Turano, ECC’s mail and material handler, said the cardboard compactor at the Bookstore was also damaged and the college may have to start looking into purchasing a replacement.
“It’s done for,” Turano said.
A notice was sent out Monday at 11:42 a.m. by the Office of Marketing and Communications advising students that classes in the Physics and Chemistry buildings were canceled.
Natural Science Division faculty were advised to work remotely from home.
After an administration meeting took place Monday at 2 p.m., another notice was sent at 4:54 p.m., announcing that classes would remain canceled Tuesday.
The Life Sciences Building and Physics Building will reopen Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 a.m.
Classes in those buildings will resume as regularly scheduled. Most utilities are up and running, and clean-up activities are nearing completion.
However, the Chemistry Building will be closed until further notice, and classes have been moved online or to classrooms in other buildings, according to an email sent by the Office of Marketing and Communications on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Webb said no injuries caused by the fires were reported, noting that the campus was closed Sunday.
“We’re very, very blessed. At the end of the day, it is a total loss for that one room, but if you compare it [to] all of these areas [structures and classrooms] here — that’s a blessing,” she said.
The specific materials used to start the fires and break into the buildings have not been disclosed at this time.
All damaged buildings and equipment are covered by the college’s fire insurance policy.
Servpro, a Los Angeles cleanup and restoration company, arrived around to the scene at 10 a.m. Monday to assess the water and fire damage.
Vander Horck talked with Fire Chief Captain Michael Grofsky of LAFD Engine 518 to estimate the damages, and Grofsky said the cost of repairs and replacements would be around $130,000.
According to the ECC 2025 Annual Security Report crime statistics at ECC, there have been six incidents of arson associated with the college — five on campus and one off campus — between 2022 and 2024.
This marks the seventh incident in three years.
By comparison, other 2025 Clery Act reports and crime statistics from Cerritos College have zero reports of arson during the same period, while Santa Monica College has two on campus reports of arson in 2022 and one report in 2024 involving public property.
