Latest news with #JustinHalstenberg
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
California man faces life in prison for starting destructive 2024 fire
A Riverside County man is facing up to life in prison after being convicted of arson and other criminal charges related to starting the Line Fire last summer. Justin Halstenberg, 35, was found guilty of seven charges related to starting the Line Fire and two charges related to another blaze, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office announced Friday. The Line Fire burned more than 43,000 acres in San Bernardino County in September, affecting more than 100,000 residents and leading to evacuations of 'tens of thousands of homes,' the sheriff's office said. The fire started on Sept. 5 in Highland before growing through forested areas. By Sept 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino due to the fire and secured federal funding to help in firefighting efforts. A week after the fire started, the sheriff's office announced that Halstenberg had been arrested and was being charged with arson and related crimes. The district attorney's office said on Sept. 12 that Halstenberg repeatedly tried to start a fire on Sept. 5, based on 'evidence received from extensive and ongoing investigations.' The first started a blaze on Bacon Lane in Highland that was reported and put out by firefighters. Halstenberg's second attempt, minutes later farther east, was also extinguished, by a 'good Samaritan,' the district attorney's office said. At the time the charges were filed — a week after the blaze was started — the Line Fire had burned at least one home and injured one firefighter, the district attorney's office said. Halstenberg pleaded not guilty to the charges, which included aggravated arson of forest land, property and possession of flammable materials, the sheriff's office said. 'This conviction sends a clear message: those who threaten our communities in San Bernardino County will be held accountable,' Sheriff Shannon Dicus said in a statement after the guilty verdict. Halstenberg is being held in the San Bernardino County Jail in Rancho Cucamonga and is scheduled to next appear in court on June 11.
Al Etihad
23-05-2025
- Al Etihad
California man is found guilty of starting Line Fire
23 May 2025 19:25 (The New York Times) A California man could face life in prison after he was found guilty of starting the Line Fire, which burned 44,000 acres and forced thousands of people to evacuate in Southern California last September, the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office man, Justin Halstenberg, from Norco, California, was found guilty of aggravated arson of forest land, arson of property and possession of flammable materials, among other charges, the district attorney's office said in a statement late fire started on Sept. 5 in San Bernardino County, east of downtown Los Angeles. It spread quickly, aided by temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with little respite at night. Two years of wet conditions enabled the growth of grass and shrubs, which then dried out during the hot summer of 2024, providing fuel for the fire caused more than $7 million in property damage, according to police arrested Halstenberg on Sept. 10 and charged him with 11 counts of arson, including using incendiary devices to set multiple said at the time that the Line Fire was ignited on Halstenberg's third attempt within an hour to start a blaze. The first fire he set was reported and extinguished by firefighters, prosecutors said. His second attempt was "stomped out by a good Samaritan,' according to the San Bernardino District Attorney's Office."Undeterred, he ignited a third fire,' the district attorney's office fire season in California has traditionally been from August to October, but they are a year-round threat in the are burning hotter and moving faster, with soaring temperatures worldwide leading to heat waves and drought. That can leave communities vulnerable to dangers like mudslides when heavy rains return to scorched terrain. Santa Ana winds - desert winds that happen in colder months - can also fuel fires. Those winds helped fuel the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in January, during which at least 30 people died and thousands of buildings in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighbourhoods were destroyed.
New York Times
23-05-2025
- New York Times
California Man Is Found Guilty of Starting Line Fire
A California man could face life in prison after he was found guilty of starting the Line Fire, which burned 44,000 acres and forced thousands of people to evacuate in Southern California last September, the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office said. The man, Justin Halstenberg, from Norco, Calif., was found guilty of aggravated arson of forest land, arson of property and possession of flammable materials, among other charges, the district attorney's office said in a statement late Thursday. The fire started Sept. 5 in San Bernardino County, east of downtown Los Angeles. It spread quickly, aided by temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with little respite at night. Two years of wet conditions had enabled the growth of grass and shrubs, which then dried out during the hot summer of 2024, providing fuel for the fire. The fire caused more than $7 million in property damage, according to prosecutors. The police arrested Mr. Halstenberg on Sept. 10 and charged him with 11 counts of arson, including using incendiary devices to set multiple fires. Prosecutors said at the time that the Line Fire was ignited on Mr. Halstenberg's third attempt within an hour to start a blaze. The first fire he set was reported and extinguished by firefighters, prosecutors said. His second attempt was 'stomped out by a good Samaritan,' according to the San Bernardino District Attorney's Office. 'Undeterred, he ignited a third fire,' the district attorney's office said. Peak fire season in California has traditionally been from August to October, but they are a year-round threat in the state. Wildfires are burning hotter and moving faster, with soaring temperatures worldwide leading to heat waves and drought. That can leave communities vulnerable to dangers like mudslides when heavy rains return to scorched terrain. Santa Ana winds — dry desert winds that happen in colder months — can also fuel fires. Those winds helped fuel the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles in January, during which at least 30 people died and thousands of buildings in the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods were destroyed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Arsonist found guilty, faces life sentence for igniting massive Line Fire
The Norco man accused of starting the massive Line Fire in San Bernardino County was found guilty on Thursday, officials announced. Justin Halstenberg, 34, now faces up to life in prison for igniting the nearly 44,000-acre fire in September 2024. Amongst the seven counts related to the Line Fire and two counts related to a subsequent fire, a jury found Halstenberg guilty of aggravated arson of forest land, property and possession of flammable materials, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. Halstenberg was arrested days after the destructive wildfire erupted. In a release announcing his arrest, officials with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Halstenberg was suspected of starting the fire on Sept. 5 in the area of Baseline Road and Alpin Street in Highland. The blaze displaced thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate due to encroaching flames, as well as prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency and deploy the National Guard to assist in evacuations. A total of four structures were damaged, one destroyed, six firefighters were injured and about 43,978 acres of land were scorched from the flames that were set by Halstenberg. The convicted arsonist pleaded not guilty in September to 11 arson-related charges against him. 'Today's guilty verdict on seven counts related to the Line Fire case is a powerful affirmation of justice,' said Dawn Rowe, chair of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
SoCal man ignited Line fire that scorched 44,000 acres, hurt 6 firefighters. He faces life term
A Norco man has been convicted of purposefully igniting the Line fire that scorched some 44,000 acres of the San Bernardino Mountains and injured six firefighters, authorities said. On Thursday, 35-year-old Justin Halstenberg was found guilty of seven counts related to the Line fire and two counts related to a subsequent blaze, according to the San Bernardino County district attorney's office. His charges include aggravated arson of forest land and property, and possession of flammable materials. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, prosecutors said. Halstenberg became a subject of interest after an automatic license-plate reader linked his pickup truck to a location near the start of the Line fire, which began Sept. 5. He was arrested in his family's Norco home, around 20 miles from the ignition site, Sept. 10. Prosecutors accused him of deliberately starting three fires within a single hour in the city of Highland. His first attempt was extinguished by firefighters near Bacon and Lytle lanes, prosecutors said. The second was stomped out by a good Samaritan just east of Bacon Lane. The third was set by the intersection of Base Line and Aplin streets and went on to become the Line fire. That blaze forced the evacuation of more than 11,000 residents and damaged several properties, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Halstenberg pleaded not guilty to starting the Line fire. His mother previously defended him to The Times, saying, "I do want to say this about my baby boy. He did not light that fire, I repeat he did not light that fire." Read more: 'He did not light that fire' says mother of man charged with starting California wildfire In closing arguments, prosecutors said that Halstenberg had practiced starting fires in Jurupa Valley in 2023 using an ignition device consisting of a cigarette box filled with paper and coins that were used to weigh it down when tossed, according to reporting from the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Detectives discovered a similar device at the start of the Line fire, the outlet reported. San Bernardino County Supervisor Dawn Rowe praised investigators and prosecutors for sending a message that arsonists will be held accountable for their destructive actions. "I commend the integrity and diligence of the District Attorney, County Sheriff, County Fire, and Cal Fire, who never lost sight of the gravity of the damage caused," she said in a statement. "Today, they delivered justice for the victims, our residents, and the land we all cherish." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
