Man Pleads Guilty to Deaths of 36 People in Oakland Warehouse Fire nbcwashington.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nbcwashington.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Man pleads guilty to 36 deaths from Ghost Ship warehouse blaze
January 22, 2021 / 3:41 PM / CBS/AP
The master tenant of a San Francisco Bay Area warehouse where 36 people perished when a fire ignited during a 2016 dance party pleaded guilty Friday to the deaths, avoiding a second trial after the first ended in a hung jury. Derick Almena, 50, pleaded guilty to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in exchange for a 12-year sentence.
Already free on bail, Almena likely won t return to jail because of the nearly three years he already spent behind bars and credit for good behavior.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson read each count with the name of the victim. When she asked Almena his plea for each charge, he answered guilty, but his quiet responses were sometimes inaudible through an online stream of the hearing held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prosecutors say Almena was criminally negligent when he illegally converted the industrial Oakland warehouse into a residence and event space for artists dubbed the “Ghost Ship, stuffing the two-story building with flammable materials and extension cords. It had no smoke detectors or sprinklers.
The Dec. 2, 2016, fire broke out at the warehouse during an electronic music and dance party, moving so quickly that victims were trapped on the illegally constructed second floor. Prosecutors said the victims received no warning and had little chance to escape down a narrow, ramshackle staircase.
The case has been emotionally wrenching for family and friends of the victims, many who packed a courtroom for months in 2019, only to see a jury split on whether to convict Almena, who leased the building. The jury also found co-defendant Max Harris, who was the Ghost Ship s “creative director” and would collect rent, not guilty at the same trial.
Derick Almena, defendant in deadly Ghost Ship fire, expected to accept plea deal, avoid second trial
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The remains of the Ghost Ship warehouse, where 36 people died in a fire in 2016.Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle 2016Show MoreShow Less
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Derick Almena was charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter he is now expected to accept a plea deal that will spare him prison time.Courtesy of the Lake County Sheriff’s OfficeShow MoreShow Less
The remaining defendant charged in the deaths of 36 people in Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse fire is expected to accept a plea deal that will keep him from prison and prevent him from undergoing a second trial, a victim’s family member said.