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Two men were arrested Monday and charged for criminal offenses in connection with a warehouse fire late last year in Oakland, Northern California, that killed 36 people.
District Attorney (DA) Nancy O'Malley of Alameda County, which has jurisdiction over Oakland, a city east of San Francisco, said Derick Ion Almena and Max Harris are charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter, a felony violation of California Penal Code.
Almena was master tenant of the two-story warehouse, and Harris was "creative director" of the structure named "Ghost Ship," as it was illegally converted into art studios, living spaces and a party venue.
At a press conference, O'Malley called the site "a fire trap, with inadequate means of escape."
"We continue to mourn the loss of 36 young and vibrant men and women, 36 members of our community who should be with us today," O'Malley said of the Dec. 2 blaze, which started at an electronic music party and ended up as the most deadly fire in the history of Oakland, and the worst in California and across the United States in more than a decade.
Almena was arrested in Lake County, north of San Francisco, and Harris in Los Angeles County, Southern California, earlier Monday. Their arraignments will take place upon their arrival at Alameda County.
If convicted, O'Malley said, the defendants could face up to 39 years in jail.
Six months after the tragedy, the investigative team claimed to have conducted over 75 individual witness interviews, executed more than 12 search warrants, reviewed more than 6,000 pages of investigative reports, and examined and compiled over 300 individual pieces of physical evidence.
However, authorities acknowledged that a specific cause of the fire was likely to remain undetermined because much of the evidence was destroyed.
The investigation began within hours of the fire. Investigators from the U.S. federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) once looked into electrical wiring as a likely cause.
In the criminal filing, the DA blamed the defendants for allowing individuals to live in the warehouse and deceived the police, fire department and owners about that fact; allowing large groups to assemble in the warehouse for musical events and blocking one of two means of egress on the day of the fire; and conducting unpermitted and uninspected construction, including electrical work.
In addition, the two allegedly allowed the floor to ceiling storage of highly flammable materials that created a deadly and dangerous space.
"Almena's and Harris' actions were reckless, creating a high risk of death," said O'Malley in a statement. "Their reckless actions were the proximate cause of the death of the 36 individuals trapped inside the warehouse when the fire started."
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
