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
-
Supervisor Andrew Do directed millions to an org that was supposed to go toward feeding needy residents. 'If they can’t prove then they should pay the money back,' Supervisor Katrina Foley told LAist. -
The clubhouse model offers a place for people living with mental illness to grow and recover in community. Research has shown they can lead to good outcomes. -
How some men are taking steps to forge, or rekindle, male friendships to feel less alone. -
Orange County officials say they are scrambling to understand what’s happening at a county-funded nonprofit led by O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do’s 22 year-old daughter. The county says the group has failed to account for millions in taxpayer dollars. -
The state's parks department is working with stakeholders, including the military, to rebuild the San Onofre road, but no timeline has been given. -
Built in 1951, the glass-walled chapel is one of L.A.’s few national historic landmarks. This isn’t the first time it has been damaged by landslides.
Best of LAist
