What we know about arson suspect in Ontario warehouse fire
ABC7 Los Angeles • • nation
Key Points:
- Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated arson and six counts of arson for allegedly starting a massive fire at a 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse in Ontario, destroying $500 million worth of paper products.
- The fire occurred around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center, where Abdulkarim worked through a third-party company; no injuries were reported.
- Authorities are reviewing social media video footage that may show the suspect setting cases of toilet paper on fire while expressing dissatisfaction with his pay, and they are working to authenticate the footage.
- Prosecutors highlighted the serious impact of the arson, emphasizing the disruption to jobs, commerce, and public safety, with Abdulkarim facing 10 years to life in prison if convicted.
- A co-worker initially suspected robots caused the fire and noted that Abdulkarim was missing at the time, but the video evidence shifted suspicion to him.
