This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
The Couple That Caused The El Dorado Fire At Their Gender Reveal Has Pleaded Guilty
Smoke from the El Dorado Fire that started Sept. 5, 2020 in San Bernardino National Forest.
(
Zach Behrens
/
US Forest Service
)
The couple who caused 2020's deadly El Dorado Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains has pleaded guilty to charges including involuntary manslaughter and recklessly causing fire to inhabited structures.
How it happened: In high September heat, the couple set off a smoke bomb at their gender reveal party sparking a fire which quickly spread and threatened communities in the San Bernardino Mountains.
The charges: Refugio Jimenez Jr. pled guilty to three felony charges, including a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Angelina Jimenez pled guilty to three misdemeanor charges.
The punishment: Refugio Jimenez Jr. faces a year in jail, 200 hours of community service, and two years of felony probation, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's office on Friday. Angelina Jimenez will face 400 hours of community service and one year of probation. The couple was also ordered to pay over $1.7 million in damages.
The damage: The El Dorado fire killed one firefighter and burned more than 22,000 acres in Riverside and San Bernardino counties over two months.
Trending on LAist
-
All of the proceeds from the sales, which were finalized before the fires, go into a new South Pasadena affordable housing fund. -
‘It was just a regular morning’: Californians picked up in recent ICE raids include kids, volunteersJob seekers, dedicated community members, green card holders among those hit by deportations, according to interviews. -
During the latest round of layoffs, the tiny team was among the hundreds let go. And though some parts of the educational program remain, educators across the country mourn what was lost. -
Andrew Do pleaded guilty to felony bribery last year. The suspension is a step in the California State Bar's process leading to disbarment. -
One month after the fires, many renters still can’t move back to their homes because their landlords won’t say when, or if, they plan to clean up toxic ash. -
Rob Caves and his partner's Christmas Tree Lane home survived the Eaton Fire, like the majority of houses on his block. But with ash in the air and no drinkable water, few of his neighbors have returned.
Best of LAist
