He's shown his teeth! Dentist, 63, accused of setting fire to rival practices

  • Dr Leopold Weinstein, 63, from California, charged with arson and attempted arson
  • Was caught on surveillance video trying to set fire to the same building he allegedly had torched in June

By Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com

Published: 14:35 EST, 2 February 2015 | Updated: 19:14 EST, 2 February 2015

Fighting tooth and nail to stay ahead of the competition, 63-year-old California dentist allegedly has set fire to the offices of his rivals.

Dr Leopold Weinstein, from Moorpark, was arrested Friday on three counts of arson, three additional counts of attempted arson and possession of a silencer, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.

Weinstein's arrest was the culmination of a seven-month investigation into a spate of fires at dental offices beginning last June.

Dog-eat-dog world: Dr Leopold Weinstein (left and right), 63, a dentist from California, has been charged with arson and attempted arson targeting the practices of his competitors   

Ruthless competition: Weinstein, who graduated back in 1978, has a practice at Spanish Hill Dental Group in Camarillo (pictured) - an area that is home to several other dental offices

Ruthless competition: Weinstein, who graduated back in 1978, has a practice at Spanish Hill Dental Group in Camarillo (pictured) - an area that is home to several other dental offices

Weinstein, a native of Cleveland who has been practicing dentistry for more than 35 years, was taken into custody after a surveillance camera caught him allegedly torching a dental office January 28.

The sheriff's office launched an investigation at the same building in Camarillo seven months earlier when large quantities of flammable liquid were discovered on the roof.

Less than two weeks later, another building housing a dental office was damaged in an arson fire.

Suspicion fell on Dr Weinstein, who has a practice at Spanish Hill Dental Group in Camarillo, after a Good Samaritan took a picture of a car parked next to one of the torched buildings in the off hours.

Law enforcement officials were able to determine that a vehicle matching the same description had been spotted outside other area dental offices stricken by arson.

Long in the tooth: The middle-aged dentist was allegedly motivated by greed  

Taking a page out of Mafia's playbook, Dr Weinstein allegedly returned to the scene of the original arson last Wednesday to finish the job, at which point he was apprehended by police.

Detectives believe Weinstein, who counts among his patients a former contestant on the reality show Survivor: Borneo, was motivated by greed.

Weinstein is being held on $250,000 bail. He is due in court Tuesday.

According to his profile on Spanish Hills Dental Group's website, Weintein, who goes by the trademarked moniker 'Dr Leo,' is a 'Christian professional' who has been active in the Boy Scouts of America and the Salvation Army.  

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