Warehouse Arsonist Faces Charges After $500 Million Blaze in Ontario
Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old employee of NFI Industries, has been charged with aggravated arson and multiple counts of arson of a structure following a massive fire at a Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, California. The fire, which started after midnight on Tuesday, destroyed $500 million worth of paper products and the warehouse itself, valued at $150 million. Authorities have released a video showing Abdulkarim starting the fire, with a voice discussing workers' pay as paper products are ignited. Abdulkarim reportedly compared himself to Luigi Mangione, an anti-capitalist figure, in messages to coworkers. The fire escalated to a six-alarm blaze, requiring 175 firefighters to respond. Abdulkarim was arrested shortly after the incident and faces up to life in prison if convicted.