Skip navigation

No charges for boy who started California fire

Prosecutor: No evidence of intent; blaze destroyed 21 homes last month

Video: Life  
Young sailor gets around
  July 16: At 17 years old, Zac Sunderland became the youngest person ever to sail around the world alone on Thursday. His trip ended where it began 13 months ago, in Marina del Rey.

Text alerts on msnbc.com

Breaking news alerts (about 1 per day)
Click here to sign up or text NEWS to MSNBC (67622).

Find more alerts at alerts.msnbc.com

  Photo features  
  More
Image:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
  The Week in Pictures
From monsoon clouds in Sri Lanka to triple-digit heat in Texas, here are some images that caught our eyes.
Image: Billabong Pro 2009 surfing event in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa
EPA
PhotoBlog
View and discuss the pictures and issues that caught our eyes.
updated 9:13 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2007

LOS ANGELES - A 10-year-old boy who admitted starting a 38,000-acre fire last month that destroyed 21 homes in northern Los Angeles County will not be charged, prosecutors said Tuesday.

There was no evidence of intent by the boy, who accidentally ignited brush outside his home by playing with matches, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Authorities are referring the case to the Department of Children and Family Services to determine if further steps are necessary. No other information about the investigation was released because the case involves a minor.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

The blaze was among more than a dozen major wildfires that blackened more than 800 square miles from Los Angeles to the Mexican border. In all, 10 people were killed directly by the wildfires.

About a week after the fires were ignited, sheriff’s department officials announced that they had interviewed the boy, who lived with his family in a trailer home on a ranch in Santa Clarita, and that he acknowledged starting the blaze.

Officials presented the case to the district attorney’s office, but law experts had said prosecutors would have trouble getting a conviction against the boy because it would be difficult to prove intent to cause harm.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sponsored LinksGet listed here
Online College Courses
Boost your career with an online Degree. Pick from Leading Colleges!
www.EarnMyDegree.com

Sponsored links

Resource guide