Palm Springs Police arrested a 58-year-old man Friday night following a crime spree at several locations that included arson and a carjacking.
Police received the first report at approximately 9:11 p.m. when a resident in the 600 block of South Camino Real called to say George Canstantinos Scangos, his roommate, had allegedly set the kitchen on fire. The roommate said he had extinguished the fire, and Scangos had left the house.
A few minutes later, officers responded to a car fire at the 76 gas station at 670 S. Palm Canyon Dr. As officers were en route, police dispatch received additional information that a subject, matching the description of Scangos, had been seen purchasing gasoline, dowsing his vehicle with it and then allegedly set his vehicle on fire before fleeing from the gas station.
At the same time, police received a call from another victim reporting that his car had been stolen near the intersection of South Palm Canyon Drive and East Sunny Dunes Road. The description that the caller provided also matched Scangos. The victim said the suspect fled the location in his white Kia Soul.
At approximately 10:02 p.m., the police discovered that the stolen vehicle had been involved in a collision in the City of La Quinta. Scangos was taken into custody and transported to an Inland Empire burn center for treatment of his injuries.
Scangos is expected to be charged with multiple felony charges related to the arson, carjacking and DUI with bodily injury.