California Man Pleads Not Guilty to Arson Charges in Ontario Warehouse Fire

Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, appeared in San Bernardino County Superior Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to seven arson charges. The charges carry a possible life sentence. He is accused of setting a fire at a Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, California, where he worked as an employee.

The fire destroyed property and goods valued at an estimated $500 million, including the structure worth about $152 million. Prosecutors stated that Abdulkarim filmed himself starting the blaze and posted the video to social media. Abdulkarim, a resident of Highland, California, also faces a federal charge for arson of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce.

According to federal charging documents, he made a phone call after the fire in which he referred to the incident as a political statement. He reportedly said the company "had it coming" and that he had cost it billions.