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u.s. news Diabierna 15 Januari 2021

Man accused in fire that killed 36 expected to plead guilty

(AP) — A man facing a second trial after a swept through an electronic music party at the so- “My heart dropped, especially when I heard it was
fire killed 36 partygoers at a San Francisco called Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland. going to be a slap on the wrist. I want my daughter
Bay Area warehouse he’s accused of illegally back; we want to be with our family members who
converting into a cluttered artists enclave is Prosecutors allege Almena, who was the master died. He gets to be with his family,” said Colleen
expected to plead guilty later this month, rel- tenant on the lease, was criminally negligent when Dolan, the mother of victim Chelsea Faith Dolan.
atives of several of the victims said. he turned the industrial building into a residence
for artists and held events without proper permits. She said families were not informed of the plea
Derick Almena, 50, is expected to plead guilty to deal possibility before Wednesday.
36 counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 22, The building was packed with furniture, extension
families of several fire victims told the East Bay cords and other flammable material but had only “I’m totally disappointed in how the DA’s handled
Times Wednesday. two exits and no smoke detectors, fire alarms or this case and even more in the outcome,” said Da-
sprinklers, prosecutors say. vid Gregory, whose daughter Michela Angelina
The relatives said Alameda County prosecutors Gregory died in the fire. “I guess now we are sup-
told them during a video call Wednesday that in Almena, who was released from jail over corona- posed to just move on with our lives as if this is
exchange for his guilty plea Almena will get a nine- virus concerns, likely won’t be locked up again, something we should just accept.”
year sentence — though he may serve little or none though he may continue to be monitored in his
of it because of time already served and good be- home another 1 1/2 years and be subject to three Almena had been behind bars since 2017 but was
havior while he was incarcerated. years of supervised probation. released from jail in May because of coronavirus
concerns and after posting a $150,000 bail bond.
Prosecutors and Almena’s attorneys cannot com- A jury deadlocked on the charges in September and
ment on the case because they remain under a a new trial has been scheduled for July. Almena's He remains on house arrest with an ankle monitor
gag order imposed by Superior Court Judge Trina co-defendant, Max Harris, was acquitted of the in the city of Upper Lake, where he lives with his
Thompson. same charges. wife and children.
Almena is charged in the Dec. 2, 2016, fire that

Jacob Blake says he was ready to surrender before being shot

(AP) — A Black man who was concluding he couldn’t disprove the cohol or going to establishments that a photo with two men as they all ges-
shot in the back by a white police officer’s contention that he acted in serve alcohol. But Richards said Rit- tured an “OK” sign with their hands,
officer in Wisconsin, triggering self-defense. tenhouse is not and has never been which has become a symbol used by
several nights of violent protests a member of a white supremacist white supremacists.
over the summer and leaving him In the “Good Morning America” in- group.
partially paralyzed, said in an in- terview, Blake, who was shot seven The motion also said five men at the
terview broadcast Thursday that times, said he shouldn't have grabbed “The State’s bond motion is a not-so- tavern serenaded Rittenhouse with
he was prepared to surrender just his knife. He said he “wasn’t think- thinly veiled attempt to interject the the song “Proud of Your Boy," which
before the officer opened fire. ing clearly.” He said he couldn't hear issue of race into a case that is about a has become the anthem of the Proud
officers' orders to comply before he person’s right to self-defense,” Rich- Boys, a white supremacist group
Jacob Blake, 29, said an interview with was shot. ards' wrote in his response. whose members have been identified
ABC's “Good Morning America” that as being involved in the attack on the
during a struggle with Kenosha police “I was counting down my breaths, After his Jan. 5 arraignment, Ritten- U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
who were trying to arrest him Aug. my blinks and I was like 'God I’m house, his mother and several other
23 on an outstanding warrant his coming. I guess this is it for me,” he adults went to Pudgy's Pub, where he “The defendant’s continued associa-
pocketknife fell from his pants. He said. was seen drinking beer, according to tion with members of a group that
said he picked it up before heading to prosecutors. Although the drinking prides itself on violence, and the use
a vehicle to drive away with two of his He said his thoughts turned to his age is 21, Rittenhouse could legally of their symbols, raises the significant
children in the backseat. sons in the backseat. drink alcohol in Wisconsin because possibility of future harm. Further,
he was with his mother. this association may serve to intimi-
“I'm not really worried. I'm walking “'Daddy loves you no matter what,'” date potential witnesses,” the motion
away from them, so it's not like they Blake said he told them. "I thought it The prosecutors' motion states that reads.
were going to shoot me,” Blake said. was going to be the last thing I say to Rittenhouse posed outside the bar for
them.”
Blake said that he was prepared to
surrender once he put the knife in During one night of unrest follow-
the vehicle. ing the shooting, prosecutors say a
white 17-year-old from Antioch, Il-
“Throw myself to the ground and you linois, shot and killed two men and
know, put my arms behind my back wounded a third, claiming the shoot-
because if they did it there and they ings were in self-defense. This week,
killed me there, everybody would see prosecutors in Wisconsin asked a
it,” he said. judge to order Kyle Rittenhouse,
Officer Rusten Sheskey told investi- who now is 18 and free on $2 million
gators that he feared that Blake was bond, to stay out of bars and away
going to stab him, so he opened fire. from white supremacist groups.
Blake family attorney Ben Crump,
however, has questioned wheth- The request comes a week after Rit-
er Blake threatened Sheskey with tenhouse was seen drinking at a bar
a knife, saying “nowhere does the in the southeastern Wisconsin city of
video footage show a knife extended Mount Pleasant, about 25 miles (40
and aimed to establish the requisite kilometers) south of Milwaukee, af-
intent.” ter he pleaded not guilty to homicide
and other charges resulting from the
Kenosha erupted with violent pro- Aug. 25 shooting in Kenosha.
tests for several nights after Blake was
shot. Hundreds were arrested, and A response to the motion filed Thurs-
multiple businesses were destroyed. day by Rittenhouse's attorney Mark
A Wisconsin prosecutor on Jan. 5 de- Richards stated that Rittenhouse
clined to file charges against Sheskey, does not object to not consuming al-