Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Arson Spree Suspect's Mother Rants Again in L.A. Courtroom, Says She and Her Son Are Victims, Not Criminals
Dorothee Burkhart (Screenshot)
()
Dorothee Burkhart, the 53-year-old German mother of arson spree suspect Harry Burkhart, made another appearance in court today, and also made a spectacle of herself as she spouted off about her son and her treatment by authorities.Today's hearing was yet another piece of the ongoing process to extradite Burkhart to Germany, where she is wanted on 19 counts of fraud, including an allegation she did not pay for her breast implants.
Because she was deemed indigent today by U.S. Magistrate Judge Margaret Nagle, Burkhart is now eligible for the free services of a lawyer, according to City News Service.
However, Burkhart was unable to stop herself from making declarations during the proceedings deemed irrelevant to the issue at hand, and that resulted in her being removed from the court briefly.
Among Burkhart's issues include her dismay at artists' renderings of her court appearances, alleged media stories portraying her as a prostitute, and that she had been "manhandled" by the U.S. marshals who removed her from court today. She also believes being sent back to her homeland will be fatal: "If you send me to Germany I can't fight anything and I will be killed," she said to Nagle.
Support for LAist comes from
Burkhart also believes she and her son are victims, not criminals. "How much money are you getting for my head and for the head of my son?" she asked in court today. She is adamant her son did not commit a string of over 50 arson fires set in Los Angeles over four nights starting at the end of December, and insists he is mentally ill--a finding shared with doctors in British Columbia who saw Harry Burkhart as part of his legal troubles there in previous recent years. Burkhart also reiterated an early allegation that her son has been set up by "a very well organized criminal group of Nazis," reports L.A. Now.
Harry Burkhart's legal troubles in Canada could expand, as police in Vancouver work to determine if he can be connected to about a dozen unsolved arson fires there. He has also been linked to a fire in Germany in October.
While Dorothee Burkhart has been returned to jail and awaits a January 25 status update hearing, Harry Burkhart is also in jail, being held without bail, awaiting his January 24 arraignment.
"If you see my son tell him I love him," said Dorothee Burkhart. "Never leave him
alone to die here.''
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist