Bondage Club Arson-Murder Suspect Arrested

Lennox - An autopsy was pending today on remains of a man in his 50s found after a blaze at a bondage club near Los Angeles International Airport, and a man recently fired by the club was behind bars on suspicion of arson and murder.

The arrested man, David Edward Albert, 53, was booked at 12:37 a.m. today and his bail was set at $1 million, according to inmate records.

The fire was reported at 11:35 a.m. Tuesday at the Passive Arts Studio, 10914 S. La Cienega Blvd., near the east end of an LAX runway. The blaze was declared out about 20 minutes later and a charred body was discovered inside, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said the man's remains were incinerated, and they would need dental X-rays and other forensic clues to positively identify the victim.

It was unclear if burns were the cause of death, Stowers said.

Across the street from the fire, deputies found Albert hiding in some bushes, Deputy Jeff Gordon of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau said. He was bleeding and said he'd been hit by a car, Gordon said.

His injuries were not consistent with his story and he was arrested on suspicion of arson and murder. He was treated for injuries he sustained before being taken into custody, Gordon said.

Albert was fired by the bondage club about a week ago, sheriff's Lt. Don Slawson said. He has a court date Thursday in Inglewood, according to inmate records.

The building, in the unincorporated community of Lennox, is known in some circles as the location of several bondage and fetish clubs.

Internet advertisements said the club had opened in 2000 as a reiteration of a Hollywood bondage club that gained notoriety in the 1970s.

The club's web page has been taken down, but old versions of it stored at other Internet servers indicated it had seven "dungeons" with such names as "Marquis de Sade," "Mae West" and "Medical."

The building is near LAX Parking Lot B.