2011–12 Los Angeles arson attacks

Series of arson attacks in Los Angeles, California October 2026 January 2012 The 2011–2012 Los Angeles arson attacks were a series of fires started on December 29, 2011, in Los Angeles, California. It was the worst case of arson reported in the area since the 1992 Los Angeles riots.https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/us/los-angeles-car-firebombings-set-city-on-edge.html Cars Set on Fire, and Los Angeles Set on Edge The New York Times January 1, 2012 January 1, 2012 Adam Nagourney Adam NagourneyJanuary 1, 2012 L.A. arson wave grows to about 40 fires; most since 1992 riots http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-fires-most-since-1992-riots.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120112135707/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-fires-most-since-1992-riots.html January 12, 2012 January 13, 2012 LA Times Harry Burkhart, then 24, who was wanted in Germany on suspicion of burning down his home, was charged in Los Angeles in January 2012 with 28 counts of arson of property and nine counts of arson of an inhabited structure.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/german-man-charged-with-arson-spree-in-la/ German man charged with arson spree in L.A Cbsnews.com 2012-01-05 Prosecutors said that Burkhart was "motivated by rage against Americans" and sought to terrorize as many people as possible when he torched dozens of cars, homes and garages late at night, when most residents were sleeping, to inflict maximum fear and damage.2011-12-30 Hollywood arson suspect 'motivated by rage against Americans' http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/hollywood-arson.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120109003913/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/hollywood-arson.html January 9, 2012 2012-01-05 Latimesblogs.latimes.com Burkhart was found guilty on September 1, 2016, of all 49 counts.http://abc7.com/news/harry-burkhart-found-guilty-on-all-49-counts-in-2011-la-arson-spree/1494890/ Harry Burkhart found guilty on all 49 counts in 2011 LA arson spree September 1, 2016 abc7.com September 7, 2016http://ktla.com/2016/09/01/german-man-convicted-in-series-of-fires-across-l-a-over-2011-holiday-season/ German Man Convicted in Series of Fires Across L.A. Over 2011 Holiday Season September 2, 2016 ktla.com September 7, 2016http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-hollywood-arsonist-20160901-snap-story.html Man found guilty in notorious series of arson attacks across L.A. Los Angeles Times September 2, 2016 September 7, 2016 Overview The arsonist generally targeted cars, many of them parked in apartment building garages or carports. Police reports indicated that an accelerant was used and that the attacks were occurring at night. No injuries were reported, and the total amount of damage was estimated at up to $2 million.Blankstein Andrew Winton Richard Bloomekatz Ari January 2, 2012 Suspect Arrested in String of Fires http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-probe-suspect-arrested.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120103073456/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-probe-suspect-arrested.html January 3, 2012 January 2, 2012 Los Angeles Times Among the buildings damaged was a home in which singer Jim Morrison once lived.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8985789/Hollywood-arsonist-damages-Jim-Morrisons-former-house.html Hollywood arsonist damages Jim Morrison's former house The Telegraph December 30, 2011 29 October 2019 Timeline On the morning of December 29, twenty-one fires were set in the metropolitan area of Los Angeles. All of the initial fires were set within five hours of each other, making authorities suspect arson.http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-31/justice/justice_california-arson_1_arson-unit-fires-angeles-county-fire-department?_s=PM:JUSTICE 35 Southern California Fires Rock Cities CNN December 31, 2011 January 1, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120102003352/http://articles.cnn.com/2011-12-31/justice/justice_california-arson_1_arson-unit-fires-angeles-county-fire-department?_s=PM:JUSTICE January 2, 2012 dead mdy-all By the next day, there were thirty-five fires spanning Los Angeles County. There were the twenty-one in Hollywood and West Hollywood. In addition there were eight in North Hollywood, three in the San Fernando Valley foothills, three in Wilshire, plus one on the Westside and one in Lennox. By December 31, 2011, the total fires of the arson spree reached 39 and the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) held a press conference the next day where the force indicated its resolve to deal with the attacks.https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/new-year-arrives-with-more-car-fires-in-los-angeles-area/2012/01/01/gIQAm3goTP_story.html?tid=pm_national_pop LA Detectives Release Video Featuring Person of Interest After Latest Wave of Car Arson Fires The Washington Post January 1, 2012 January 2, 2012 Associated PressJune 2021 medicmedic The number of fires eventually reached 55 on January 2, the day suspect Harry Burkhart was arrested.Quinones Sam January 2, 2012 L.A. Arson Fires Now Top 55; 'Person of Interest' Held http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/55-fires-of-concern-have-broken-out-since-friday-official-says.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120108130737/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/55-fires-of-concern-have-broken-out-since-friday-official-says.html January 8, 2012 January 2, 2012 Los Angeles Times According to the LAFD "45 occurred in the Los Angeles area, another nine were in West Hollywood, and one was in Burbank." Suspect's background Harry Burkhart was born in Grozny in Chechnya but traveled on German documents, as a German citizen.Kim Victoria http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hollywood-arsons-20120105,0,5899498.story Suspect faces life term in arson rampage Los Angeles Times 2011-11-28 2012-01-052011-12-30 Mother of L.A. arson suspect Harry Burkhart says he's mentally ill http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-suspect-is-mentally-ill-his-mother-says-in-court.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120108084417/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-suspect-is-mentally-ill-his-mother-says-in-court.html January 8, 2012 2012-01-04 Latimesblogs.latimes.com The German embassy in Ottawa said Harry's mother, Dorothee Burkhart, has been wanted by authorities in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf since 2005. While detained in Germany, Dorothee claimed heart problems and an appointment was made for her to visit a cardiology clinic. She was allowed to wear civilian clothes and while at the clinic asked to use the washroom. Her handcuffs were removed and while in the washroom she escaped through a window. She called Harry to tell him to bring money and documents to her after which they fled Frankfurt, traveling through France to Amsterdam where they purchased airline tickets to Canada.https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/mother-of-accused-arsonist-warned-son-could-make-deadly-decisions/article2292872/ Sunny Dhillion Mother of accused arsonist warned son could make 'deadly' decisions The Globe and Mail 5 January 2012 Toronto dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120106025214/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/mother-of-accused-arsonist-warned-son-could-make-deadly-decisions/article2292872/ January 6, 2012 The Burkharts filed refugee claims in Canada, saying "we are persecuted [in Germany] because of our [Chechen] origin, nationality, disability of my son from the Nazis and their sympathizers," however the claims were denied.Sunny Dhillon and Campbell Clark Accused L.A. arsonist begged court to stay in Canada https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/accused-la-arsonist-begged-court-to-stay-in-canada/article2291936/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120105035529/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/accused-la-arsonist-begged-court-to-stay-in-canada/article2291936/ January 5, 2012 January 5, 2012 Theglobeandmail.com Toronto The minister of citizenship and immigration personally intervened in the Burkharts' case and requested that they be barred from refugee protection. The refugee claim was denied in 2009 and denied again by Canada's federal courts in 2010.https://montrealgazette.com/news/charged+arsons+denied+refugee+status+2009/5954780/story.html Canadian immigration minister intervened to bar accused and his mother Montreal Gazette January 13, 2012December 2018 InternetArchiveBot yes Immigration officials believed Harry Burkhart was in the United States on a visa that was due to expire within two weeks of his arrest, but they could not find a visa file for Dorothee Burkhart. The government later said that it believed that Dorothee had entered illegally."Arson suspect's mother may have entered U.S. illegally, feds say" Los Angeles Times February 22, 2012 Court documents identified her as a German national and although she described herself as "Canadian German", she spoke broken German and at a previous hearing had been granted a Russian interpreter. On January 4, 2012, German prosecutors told the Associated Press that Harry Burkhart was a suspect in an October 2011 fire in Germany that burned a home owned by his family, and that Burkhart had filed an insurance claim on the home.January 4, 2012 L.A. arson suspect Harry Burkhart probed in German fire http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-suspect-harry-burkhart-frankfurt-fire.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120108130747/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/la-arson-suspect-harry-burkhart-frankfurt-fire.html January 8, 2012 January 4, 2012 Latimesblogs.latimes.com Arrest State Department Special Agent Jonathan Lamb and his partner Deputy U.S. Marshal Louis Flores were assigned the fugitive cold case of locating Dorothee Burkhart, who was wanted by Germany on 19 counts of fraud "committed on a commercial basis and as a member of a gang",Kim Victoria http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0104-hollywood-arson-20120104,0,1021006.story Arrest in arson rampage reveals enigmatic mother and son Los Angeles Times 2011-11-28 2012-01-04 including failing to pay for a 2004 breast-augmentation surgery and pilfering $45,000 worth of security deposits from renters. While working on Dorothee's case Lamb and Flores learned about her son Harry. After Dorothee was found and appeared at her extradition proceeding on December 29, 2011, Harry called further attention to himself by screaming "F*** the United States!" in the courtroom when he realized his mother was about to be deported to Germany.Blood Michael R. http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/la-arson-suspect-cursed-1286799.html LA arson suspect cursed US days before fires Ajc.com 2012-01-04https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/04/los-angeles-arson-suspect-charged Los Angeles authorities charge German man over arson attacks The Guardian January 4, 2012 London January 4, 2012 Prosecutors filed the paperwork to have Dorothee extradited in February and scheduled another extradition hearing for May 9, 2012."Extradition papers filed for arsonist suspect mom"May 2026 medicmedic Associated Press 23 February 2012 Flores was sitting at home watching TV at about 10 p.m. on January 1 when a parking garage security camera video was played on the news. Flores recognized Harry in the video and called the LAPD hotline and his chain of command.L.A. arsons: Federal agent tips helped lead to suspect's capture http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/arsons-suspect-federal-agent-tips.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120112061305/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/arsons-suspect-federal-agent-tips.html January 12, 2012 January 5, 2011 Los Angeles Times On January 2 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Reserve Deputy Shervin Lalezaryhttp://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_19673152 L.A. arson suspect's captor patrols for $1 a year January 4, 2012 Mercury News January 13, 2012 arrested Burkhart near a drugstore at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, having spotted him driving a blue minivan consistent with the description provided by Lamb and Flores.Blankstein Andrew Winton Richard Bloomekatz Ari January 2, 2012 Fire Starting Materials Found in Van of Person of Interest Sources Say http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/fire-starting-materials-found-in-van-of-person-of-interest-sources-say-.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120108025652/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/01/fire-starting-materials-found-in-van-of-person-of-interest-sources-say-.html January 8, 2012 January 2, 2012 Los Angeles Times Court proceedings On January 4, 2012, Los Angeles County prosecutors charged Harry Burkhart with 28 felony counts of arson of property and nine counts of arson of an inhabited structure in connection with the Los Angeles-area fires. His bail was set at $2.85 million. If convicted on all 37 counts, Burkhart could be facing up to a 341-year sentence. The district attorney's office has noted that its likely to file further charges against Burkhart.https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/us/los-angeles-fire-suspect-sought-for-questioning-in-germany.html?_r=0 Los Angeles Arson Suspect Is Charged With 37 Counts Lovett Ian Adam Nagourney 5 January 2012 The New York Times 13 9 January 2013 That same day, an anonymous law enforcement official said that Burkhart had been put on a suicide watch.https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5inbpHOkM6zxtxW937NTi2faf0o6w?docId=d7f5b3c2df3449aaaec3751edce9e35d https://web.archive.org/web/20120104174151/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5inbpHOkM6zxtxW937NTi2faf0o6w?docId=d7f5b3c2df3449aaaec3751edce9e35d dead January 4, 2012 The Associated Press: German man charged with arson in New Year fires 2012-01-05 On January 23, 2012, prosecutors added 63 new charges and the judge reset his bail to $7.5 million.http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/01/24/harry-burkhart-to-be-arraigned-in-new-years-weekend-arson-rampage/ Harry Burkhart Pleads Not Guilty To 100 Arson-Related Charges CBS 9 January 2013 Los Angeleshttp://www.cnn.com/2012/01/24/justice/california-arson/index.html Hollywood arson suspect pleads not guilty to 100 counts Duke Alan January 25, 2012 CNN 9 January 2013 Los Angeles Harry Burkhart pleaded not guilty to 100 counts of arson. Burkhart has been in custody for more than two years without trial.Richard Winton Indictment: Accused Hollywood arsonist tried to burn down 46 buildings Los Angeles Times March 23, 2015 http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-accused-hollywood-arsonist-20150323-story.html April 19, 2015 On March 11, 2015, he was indicted by a grand jury on 49 counts of arson, arson of inhabited buildings and possession of flammable materials.Richard Winton Indictment: Accused Hollywood arsonist tried to burn down 46 buildings Los Angeles Times March 23, 2015 http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-accused-hollywood-arsonist-20150323-story.html July 19, 2015 Trial Burkhart's trial began on August 15, 2016.Hernandez Miriam TRIAL FOR HARRY BURKHART, SUSPECT IN TERRIFYING ARSON SPREE, BEGINS IN LA http://abc7.com/news/trial-for-suspect-in-terrifying-arson-spree-begins-in-la/1471152/ abc7.com August 16, 2016 KABC-TV 16 August 2016 Los Angeles enProsecutor Accuses 'Hollywood Arsonist' Of Wanting 'America To Burn' http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/08/15/prosecutor-accuses-hollywood-arsonist-of-wanting-america-to-burn/ cbslocal.com KCBS-TV CBS Los Angeles 16 August 2016 Los Angeles en 15 August 2016Marcellino Elizabeth German man on trial for 47 fires set in San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, West Hollywood http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20160815/german-man-on-trial-for-47-fires-set-in-san-fernando-valley-hollywood-west-hollywood dailynews.com Los Angeles Daily News 16 August 2016 Los Angeles en 15 August 2016 He pled not guilty by reason of insanity and not guilty.City News Service German National Convicted in Arson Spree http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/German-National-Convicted-in-Arson-Spree-392108821.html nbclosangeles.com NBC Los Angeles 7 September 2016 1 September 2016 Burkhart -- who pleaded both not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity -- has remained jailed since his arrest. He was found guilty on September 1, 2016, of all 49 counts. After his conviction, a mistrial was declared during the insanity phase (where jurors are supposed to decide if Burkhart was sane or insane during the crimes) on September 16, 2016.http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-mistrial-hollywood-arsonist-20160916-snap-story.html Mistrial declared in sanity phase of convicted Hollywood arsonist Richard Winton Los Angeles Times September 16, 2016 September 17, 2016https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/17/494363403/mistrial-declared-after-deadlock-over-whether-notorious-convicted-arsonist-is-sa Mistrial Declared After Deadlock Over Whether Notorious Convicted Arsonist Is Sane npr.org The Two-Way: Breaking News From NPR Merrit Kennedy September 17, 2016 September 17, 2016http://mynewsla.com/crime/2016/09/16/was-serial-arsonist-sane-deadlocked-jury-forces-mistrial/ Was serial arsonist sane? Deadlocked jury forces mistrial - MyNewsLA.com mynewsla.com Debbie L. Sklar September 16, 2016 September 17, 2016 Eight members of the 12-member jury thought Burkhart was insane. The next court date is October 13, 2016.http://abc7.com/news/mistrial-declared-in-sanity-phase-of-hollywood-arsonist-trial/1514969/ Mistrial declared in sanity phase of Hollywood arsonist trial September 16, 2016 abc7.com September 17, 2016 On March 5, 2018, after deliberating for five hours, a Downtown Los Angeles jury found him sane at the time of the arson.http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-arson-burkhart-20180305-story.html German national convicted of setting dozens of fires in L.A. County found to be sane City News Service March 5, 2018 Los Angeles Times References 2 Los Angeles Category:2011 crimes in California Category:2012 crimes in California Category:2011 fires in the United States Category:2012 fires in the United States Category:2011 in Los Angeles Category:2012 in Los Angeles Category:Anti-American sentiment in the United States Category:Crimes in Los Angeles Category:Arson in California Category:21st-century American trials Category:Hate crimes Category:Arson in 2011 Category:Arson in 2012 Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2011 Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2012 Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in California Category:Trials in California Category:Arson attacks on vehicles in North America Category:Fires in Los Angeles