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
-
Dennis Block runs what he calls a 'leading eviction law firm.' A judge said legal citations submitted in Block's name for a case were fake. Experts told LAist the errors likely stemmed from AI misuse. -
Exclusive: We Asked Nury Martinez To Explain What She Said On The Secret Tapes. Here’s What She SaidIn her first interview since the City Hall Tapes scandal broke a year, we asked Martinez about the racist and offensive comments she's heard making on the leaked recordings. -
The fees are some of the most generous in the L.A. area. Proponents say they will help displaced renters find new housing, but one landlord group called them "a bounty". -
About 34% of Kaiser’s Southern California workforce walked out. -
For Jeff Alulis, the Burger Quest became “something bigger” than him. -
Baker Commodities Inc. in the city of Vernon is suing the government agency that oversees it for $200 million in damages. Neighbors had celebrated its temporary shutdown. Now an upcoming court decision could allow a full reopening.
Best of LAist
