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
-
Madeline wrote to the county in mid-November asking for approval to have a unicorn in her backyard. Now the hunt begins. -
This museum helps students explore the connections between prejudice, anti-Semitism and the murder of more than six million Jewish people and so many others. -
Newly-elected Kenneth Mejia joins Councilmember Nithya Raman as some of the city’s most visible Asian American progressives. -
#Snapback perpetuates unrealistic postpartum expectations. -
The city’s law regulating vacation rentals is more than three years old, but a new study suggests violations are rampant. -
Since Jan. 2016, at least 30 stone fabricators in the Los Angeles area have been diagnosed with an accelerated form of silicosis, an incurable, and deadly, dust-related illness. The evidence suggests silica-rich synthetic stone is to blame.
Best of LAist
