4 arrested in connection with massive fire in Old Town Newhall
Owner of auto body shop among 4 arrested for arson
John Wright, the owner of Gary's Collision Center, was among four suspects arrested for a massive fire in Old Town Newhall earlier this year.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Two months after a massive fire broke out on Main Street in Santa Clarita's Old Town Newhall, four people have been arrested, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced.
The backstory:
The structure fire broke out on August 24 at 3 a.m. on the 24000 block of Main Street in Santa Clarita. Multiple businesses were destroyed, including Newhall Refinery, MAIN theater, and Care Tucker Style House.
According to the sheriff's department, at least seven structures were involved, and the fire caused approximately $13 million in property damage.
Auto shop owner arrested
Dig deeper:
As part of their ongoing investigation into the fire, detectives served search warrants at four locations on Thursday, Oct. 29, resulting in the arrest of several people in connection with the incident.
John Wright, 47, Cristian Leija, 43, Jesus Figueroa, 54, and Antoinette Ruiz, 35, were all arrested on arson and conspiracy charges.
Wright is the owner of Gary's Auto Collision Center, one of the businesses damaged in the fire. This is the second auto shop he's owned that has been damaged in a fire. His shop on Sierra Highway went up in flames in July 2025.
Auto shop owner arrested on arson charges in $13M Old Town Newhall fire
John Wright, the owner of Gary's Auto Collision, was arrested along with three other people on arson charges after a massive fire destroyed several businesses along Old Town Newhall's historic Main Street.
What they're saying:
Customers who had their vehicles at his shop say they aren't surprised.
"I knew exactly what happened… it’s so shady. This whole situation is so shady," said Mark Haberman.
"I was like, 'oh my gosh he burned the shop down,' that was my immediate thought," stated Cheyenne Serano. "The arson that was committed and the countless buildings, not only historic buildings, but those were people's livelihoods. It’s wrong."
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Serano and Haberman say Wright had been holding their vehicles and demanding thousands of dollars before agreeing to release them. Wright denied those allegations during an interview with FOX 11's Gina Silva in August 2026.
Haberman said he had already paid Wright $20,000 to repair his truck.
"I can fix anything is what he said. We’re going on almost two years and $20,000 dollars," Haberman explained. He was able to get his truck back, but the repairs were never completed. Meanwhile, Serano's Tesla is still at one of Wright’s shops.
Business owners devastated by Newhall fire
Several business owners in the Newhall community woke up to devastating news on Monday.
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What you can do:
Anyone with information on the fire is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Arson/Explosives Unit at (323) 881-7500. You can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477, or by visiting lacrimestoppers.org.
The Source: Information for this story came from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.