Los Angeles Police Arrest Dawud Abdulwali For December Apartment Complex Fire

UPDATE, 9:45 p.m. EDT: During a news conference Wednesday night, authorities said they spent more than 50,000 man hours working on the investigation into the fire. "This arrest illustrates that crime will not be tolerated in Los Angeles," mayor Eric Garcetti added.

Abdulwali was linked to the blaze by physical and electronic evidence. His motive remained unclear, but officials did not think it was terror-related, according to a tweet from the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Original story: The Los Angeles Police Department arrested a man this week they suspect started the fire that caused $30 million in damage to the Da Vinci apartments complex in December 2014. Authorities announced Wednesday that Dawud Abdulwali, 56, was being held on a more than $1 million bail in connection with the blaze, which destroyed a seven-story building and impacted the nearby freeway, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The LAPD's antiterrorism division took Abdulwali into custody on Tuesday after a six-month investigation, Officer Liliana Preciado told Reuters. Further details were being withheld until a news conference scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT.

A LinkedIn profile matching the name "Dawud Abdul-Wali" located in Los Angeles showed he works in entertainment. His profession was listed as co-CEO of King Empire International.

The December 8 fire was declared suspicious just days after it took down the Da Vinci apartments, still under construction at the time, and damaged neighboring buildings. Authorities found an accelerant, NBC Los Angeles reported, which indicated the fire could have been arson. They offered $170,00 in reward money for information leading to an arrest.