7/21/2021 Couple accused of involuntary manslaughter in gender-reveal ignition of El Dorado fire – San Bernardino Sun ___ NEWSCRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY • News Couple accused of involuntary manslaughter in gender-reveal ignition of El Dorado fire San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson releases the charges being filed against defendants who started the El Dorado Fire during a gender reveal party last year. Anderson made the announcement during a press conference at San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office in San Bernardino on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) By BRIAN ROKOS || [email protected] || TheThe Press-EnterprisePress-Enterprise PUBLISHED: July 20, 2021 at 5:33 p.m. || UPDATED:UPDATED: July 21, 2021 at 7:42 a.m. Two people have been indicted on multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter, in connection with a pyrotechnic gender-reveal photo shoot that went awry and sparked last yearʼʼs deadly 22,680-acre El Dorado wildfire in San Bernardino County, the countyʼʼs top prosecutor said Tuesday. District Attorney Jason Anderson announced the charges at a news conference after the grand jury heard four days of testimony, listened toto 3434 witnesseswitnesses andand reviewedreviewed 434434 exhibitsexhibits beforebefore returningreturning 3030 countscounts againstagainst thethe couple.couple. TheThe indictmentindictment waswas unsealedunsealed Tuesday.Tuesday. Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angelina Renee Jimenez,, thethe couplecouple accusedaccused ofof beingbeing behindbehind thethe gender-revealgender-reveal eventevent thatthat involvedinvolved aa pyrotechnic device, were charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter, three felony counts of recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, four felony counts of recklessly causing a fire to inhabited structures and 22 misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing a fire toto propertyproperty ofof another,another, AndersonAnderson said.said. https://www.sbsun.com/2021/07/20/grand-jury-indicts-couple-linked-to-pyrotechnic-gender-reveal-event-that-led-to-deadly-san-bernardino-c… 1/4 7/21/2021 Couple accused of involuntary manslaughter in gender-reveal ignition of El Dorado fire – San Bernardino Sun They pleaded not guilty to all charges in Superior Court in San Bernardino. The DAʼʼs Office sought bail, but they were released on their own recognizance, Anderson said. It could not be immediately determined if they were represented by attorneys as the Superior Courtʼʼs online records did not yet reflect the Jimenezesʼʼ appearancesappearances TuesdayTuesday evening.evening. Among the victims was U.S. Forest Service hotshot firefighter Charles Morton, who perished in the blaze. Thirteen other firefighters were injured.injured. Anderson said the indictment suggests that the grand jury found an “unbroken chain” of events — one that did not include firefighter negligence — that led to the death of Morton, a 39-year-old resident of Big Bear. “The conditions that were created that led to the firefighter death were a direct result of the fire,” Anderson said. The El Dorado fire started Sept. 5 at El Dorado Ranch Park when sparks from a pyrotechnic device usedused toto generategenerate coloredcolored smokesmoke —— which color has not been revealed — during a gender-reveal photo shoot ignited dry brush on an unseasonably warm day, Cal Fireʼʼs San Bernardino Unit said. Morton, a USFS hotshot crew boss, died fighting the fire in the San Gorgonio Wilderness on Sept. 17 when flames burned over him. More detailed circumstances of his death have not been made public. San Bernardino National Forest firefighter David Cruz lowers his head during the last call for Charles Morton, the U.S. Forest Service firefighterfirefighter assignedassigned toto thethe BigBig BearBear HotshotsHotshots whowho waswas killedkilled inin thethe lineline ofof dutyduty onon Sept.Sept. 1717 onon thethe ElEl DoradoDorado FireFire inin thethe SanSan BernardinoBernardino National Forest, during his memorial service at The Rock Church in San Bernardino on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Zachary Behrens, a spokesman for the USFS, referred questions about the status of the investigation to the Washington D.C. office. “We would like to thank the District Attorneyʼʼs Office and Sheriffʼʼs Department for their hard work and diligence in bringing forth charges inin thisthis case.case. OurOur thoughtsthoughts areare withwith CharlieCharlieʼʼs family, friends and colleagues today and always,” the USFS said in a written statement. The fire burned 22,680 acres,, destroyeddestroyed fivefive homeshomes andand damageddamaged fourfour othersothers inin additionaddition toto thethe humanhuman tolltoll itit took.took. Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and Barton Flats were among the communities evacuated. The fire also burned in Cherry Valley in Riverside County. Anderson acknowledged that the length of time it took the DAʼʼs Office to reach a decision on filing charges frustrated some members of the public. Six agencies were involved in the investigation, and Anderson said in late February that he had not yet received every report. https://www.sbsun.com/2021/07/20/grand-jury-indicts-couple-linked-to-pyrotechnic-gender-reveal-event-that-led-to-deadly-san-bernardino-c… 2/4 7/21/2021 Couple accused of involuntary manslaughter in gender-reveal ignition of El Dorado fire – San Bernardino Sun “Given the scope and impact of the El Dorado fire on the land and lives of so many, particularly Charles Morton and his family, it was imperativeimperative thatthat everyevery investigationinvestigation bebe completedcompleted withinwithin bothboth federalfederal andand statestate agenciesagencies toto provideprovide aa fullfull andand fairfair presentationpresentation toto thethe members of our community that made up the grand jury,” Anderson said. 7/21/2021 Couple accused of starting El Dorado Fire charged NEWS Couple accused of starting El Dorado Fire during gender reveal party charged with 30 counts Martin Estacio Victorville Daily Press Published 5:56 p.m. PT Jul. 20, 2021 Updated 6:01 p.m. PT Jul. 20, 2021 A couple who allegedly sparked the deadly El Dorado Fire with a smoke bomb during a gender reveal ceremonylast year have been charged with 30 crimes, including involuntary manslaughter. Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angela Renee Jimenez were arraigned in court Tuesday where they pleaded not guilty. A judge released them on their recognizance despite prosecutors' request that they each be held on $50,000 bail, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said during a news conference. A criminal grand jury indicted the couple Monday also with three felony counts of recklessly causing a fire with great bodily injury, four felony counts of recklessly causing a fire to inhabited structures and 22 misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to property of another. The El Dorado Fire reportedly started Sept. 5 after the smoke bomb was set off during the couple’s gender reveal gathering in a Yucaipa park. Charles Morton, a firefighter squad boss with the Big Bear Interagency Hotshots, died Sept. 17 while battling the blaze that night. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Morton’s death was due to being caught or trapped and he died of burns. The fire burned more than 22,000 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest and destroyed 20 structures, including five homes, and damaged four additional residences, fire officials said. https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/2021/07/20/couple-accused-starting-el-dorado-fire-charged/8036201002/?utm_source=vvdailypress-Daily Br… 1/2 7/21/2021 Couple accused of starting El Dorado Fire charged The blaze also injured two other firefighters and forced the evacuation of several communities including Oak Glen, Forest Falls and Angelus Oaks. Anderson said Tuesday that the couple could face sentences extending from the “upper teens to low 20s” if found guilty on all charges. When asked how prosecutors would argue the couple’s actions were responsible for Morton’s death, Anderson said the firefighter was “fighting a fire that was started because of a smoke bomb.” “That’s the only reason he was there,” he added. The couple is expected to appear back in court Sept. 15, officials said. Associated Press contributed to this report. Daily Press reporter Martin Estacio may be reached at 760-955-5358 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @DP_mestacio. https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/2021/07/20/couple-accused-starting-el-dorado-fire-charged/8036201002/?utm_source=vvdailypress-Daily Br… 2/2 7/21/2021 Los Angeles Times - eNewspaper Fears rise of a new covid surge More counties urge mask-wearing indoors as hospitalizations continue to climb. BY LUKE MONEY A spate of new coronavirus infections is striking California’s healthcare system, pushing COVID-19 hospitalizations to levels not seen since early spring — lending new urgency to efforts to tamp down transmission as a growing number of counties urge residents to wear masks indoors. Statewide, the number of coronavirus patients in the hospital more than doubled in the last month, and the numbers have accelerated further in the last two weeks. Even with the recent increase, though, the state’s healthcare system is nowhere near as swamped as it was during the fall-and-winter surge. And many health experts are confident that California will never see numbers on that scale again, given how many residents are vaccinated. But with the continued spread of the highly infectious Delta variant, which officials fear could mushroom in communities with lower inoculation rates, the next few weeks are key in determining how potent the pandemic’s latest punch may be. The recent increases confirm that nearly everyone falling seriously ill from COVID-19 at this point is unvaccinated. “This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. And so, if you care about getting back to normalcy once and for all, please get vaccinated,” Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Tuesday. The fact that about 52% of all Californians are already fully vaccinated sets a ceiling on how many people remain exposed to potential infection.