Los Angeles (AFP) – California authorities accused a 29 -year -old man of setting a deadly fire that broke out to become the most destructive fire in the history of Los Angeles and destroyed a large part of the Pacific Balsadis neighborhood, according to officials on Wednesday.
Federal law enforcement officials accused Jonathan Renderkentht, of 29 -year -old, of setting a fire on New Year’s Day, and was initially extinguished by firefighting teams, but he continued to ignite under the ground before it was burning again during the strong winds, said the agent of US Prosecutor Bill Islelli during a press conference.
Renderkecht was arrested in Florida on Tuesday and is scheduled to appear before the court on Wednesday. He faces accusations, including intentional destruction by setting fire. Aisha Nash, the federal general attorney in charge of representing Renderkecht, did not respond to the requests of the Associated Press for comment.
Al -Osaili said that Renderantht fled from the original fire location, but he returned to the same path to see him burning.
Al -Osaili said: “He left as soon as he saw the fire engines heading to the site.
Rinderknecht also made several calls number 911 to report the fire, according to a criminal complaint.
During an interview with him on January 24, Rendendkacht told the investigators about the start of the fire, information that had not been published yet, and that he would not have known if he had not seen it, according to the complaint.
Al -Osaili said he lied about his position, claiming that he was near the bottom of the walking path.
The suspect was clearly concerned during that interview, according to the complaint. His efforts to call No. 911 and his question to Chatgpt indicate about igniting a fire cigarette that he “wanted to keep evidence for his attempt to help put out the fire and wanted to create evidence regarding a more innocent interpretation of the cause of the fire,” as stated in the complaint.
Investigators concluded that the first fire of January was deliberately ignited, probably by a lighter that was taken to plants or paper, according to the criminal complaint. They excluded other possibilities, including fireworks, lightning and electrical lines. The complaint says that the authorities also discussed whether a cigarette is the cause of the fire, but it concluded that this is not the reason.
Investigators found a “barbecue” lighter inside the glove compartment of the Renderkacht on January 24. It appears to be the same lighter that was in his apartment on December 31, based on a picture on his phone. He admitted to bring a lighter with him when he was ascending the hill.
The fire, which broke out on January 7, killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6000 homes and a building in the Pacific Palssadis area, a wealthy coastal neighborhood in Los Angeles. The fire invaded the neighborhoods of the hills, and destroyed the pamphlets with picturesque views of the ocean and the center of Los Angeles.
Investigators still did not determine the cause of the second fire called the Etone fire, which broke out on the same day in the Altadina community and killed 18 people.
The two fires lasted for several days, converting the other area from the other from entire neighborhoods into a black and gray debris.
An external review issued in September found that the lack of ancient resources and policies to send emergency alerts resulted in delaying evacuation warnings.
The report issued by the Los Angeles Provincial Supervisors said that a series of weaknesses, including “outdated policies, inappropriate practices and weaknesses in communications,” hindered the boycott response.
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Cewier from Toulido, Ohio, reported. The Associated Press Eric Taker correspondent in Washington, DC.