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California fires started by boy with matches, should he be charged??

  • Thread starter Thread starter the_clockwork
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the_clockwork

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http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071031/D8SK717G0.html

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. (AP) - Officials blamed a wildfire that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week on a boy playing with matches, and said they would ask a prosecutor to consider the case.

The boy, whose name and age were not released, admitted to sparking the fire on Oct. 21, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht said Tuesday. Ferocious winds helped it quickly spread.

"He admitted to playing with matches and accidentally starting the fire," Hecht said in a statement.

The boy was released to his parents, and the case will be presented to the district attorney's office, Hecht said. It was not clear if he had been arrested or cited by detectives.

The fire began in an area near Agua Dulce and quickly spread. It was among 15 or so major wildfires that killed 14 people, destroyed some 2,100 homes and blackened 809 square miles from Los Angeles to the Mexican border last week.

Authorities arrested five people for arson during that period, but none have been linked to any of the major blazes.

All but four of the blazes are now fully contained. Firefighters on Wednesday continued to cut lines around the remaining fires and kept a close eye on the weather.

Forecasters have said moderate Santa Ana winds could pick up later in the week.

Investigators have blamed an arsonist for setting a destructive wildfire in Orange County that blackened 28,500 acres and destroyed 16 homes.

Authorities were seeking the driver of a white Ford F-150 pickup truck spotted in a canyon area around the time the fire broke out. They said they wanted to talk to the driver, but stopped short of calling the person a suspect.

Officials offered a $285,000 reward to anyone with information that will lead to an arrest and conviction.
 
I almost started a forest fire once - I was in 6th grade and my friend and I just got done watching "First Blood"... We made a torch - cause that's what Rambo did and head into the woods to light it. Well it was mid August and the forest was dry (we didn't realize this). Pieces of our torch fell on the ground (something we did not foresee) and lit the surrounding area. We ran like hell and because this is the way my life goes, a police officer saw the fire and we ran right into him. (DOH!!) He got the FD out there and we got arrested for juvenile arson. Unless my parents took care of things from there - nothing ever came of any of it. At least that I know of, and with my parents, I would have known...... and paid for it.
 
yup. . .but if the kid's a minor. . .especially a fairly young minor. . .that has no other record of any criminal activity. . .ain't shit gonna happen to the kid anyway. . .that's one of the beautiful things about youth. . .you can fuck up REAL BAD and recover completely in a short period of time. . .
 
yonkers weights said:
Yes, him and his parents!
I am torn on this - This was horrible but it's just a kid fucking up... I mean his parents could have told him 7 thousand times not to light fires... Doesn't mean he won't want to try it. And parents can't sit and watch their children every second of every day.
 
You can't blame the parents. That's just ridiculous.
 
wait a min. Fire officials with YEARS of experience said the fire was started by someone who knew where the winds were going and was a seasoned fire expert?!
Goes to show, no one knows nothing about nothing!
 
reno240 said:
I am torn on this - This was horrible but it's just a kid fucking up... I mean his parents could have told him 7 thousand times not to light fires... Doesn't mean he won't want to try it. And parents can't sit and watch their children every second of every day.

in a non-litigious society this would probably be an adequate defense. . .or at least the basis for one. . .
 
blueta2 said:
wait a min. Fire officials with YEARS of experience said the fire was started by someone who knew where the winds were going and was a seasoned fire expert?!
Goes to show, no one knows nothing about nothing!

nothing about anything? *wink wink*

:D
 
AAP said:
Why not ask the people who lost their homes.
I know - I would hope that if I did lose my home in this - I wouldn't want to destroy a family because of a stupid act by a child. I would hope.
 
yonkers weights said:
I think there were several people involved. Not connected but someone who knew what they were doing and then some copycats.

i think if you build your house inside of a friggin' tinderbox, every once in a while, the son-of-a-bitch is gonna burn down. . .
 
blueta2 said:
your right, I did get ruled, that is because I'm a lier. that's right you heard me a lier. I hope your all listening!
(redguru will get this)

creep



LOL omg. It took me a second though, lol
 
I agree to a point. People who live there know it is a risk but no ones very thinks it will happen to them.


digimon7068 said:
i think if you build your house inside of a friggin' tinderbox, every once in a while, the son-of-a-bitch is gonna burn down. . .
 
he killed 14 people indirectly.. should be be charged with manslaughter x 14?
 
the_clockwork said:
he killed 14 people indirectly.. should be be charged with manslaughter x 14?


really the best punishent sould be a brand on his ass that says.. even you can prevent forest fires.. that shit would kill
 
he'll probably get off with 20 hours of community service or some dumb shit like that
 
If this was a complete accident on his part - he probably feels more guilt than I could imagine feeling - then if the state goes after him and his family for money and or jail time - that will most likely ruin his family. More guilt - the kid will off himself inside a year.
 
I lit part a forest on fire once. It was fucking scary how fast that thing went up. Same thing, just a couple of 13yo kids doing what 13yo kids do. Thing got out of control VERY fast. Once the blaze was taller than us we just got on our bikes and booked it. Heard the fire engines blazing towards us. Went back that night and saw a huge clearing in the woords, charred trees and shit. Lucky for us the fire was put out before it reached any of the nearby homes.
 
the_clockwork said:
"He admitted to playing with matches and accidentally starting the fire," Hecht said in a statement.

For any charges to really hold, I'm pretty sure they need to prove some sort of malintent. If it was a child who was simply playing and accidentally started something that completely unbeknownst and unpredictable to himself happened to explode out of control, then I certainly don't see any charges coming against the kid or family... only some negative media coverage and embarrassment.



:cow:
 
samoth said:
For any charges to really hold, I'm pretty sure they need to prove some sort of malintent. If it was a child who was simply playing and accidentally started something that completely unbeknownst and unpredictable to himself happened to explode out of control, then I certainly don't see any charges coming against the kid or family... only some negative media coverage and embarrassment.



:cow:



I am pretty sure all they have to have is negligence - i.e. a reasonable person not only could have forseen the possible outcome but would have taken steps to prevent said outcome, etc...

At some point, negligence can and is criminal.

The thing is - the 'reasonable person' test is alot more of a touchy area when it comes to youngins. Not sure how old he is or what his maturity level is but that would most certainly play into it. There are some pretty fucking smart and onery kids out there....

I know for myself that there was never a point in my life that I was capable of playing with fire but wasn't aware of the seriousness of my actions....
 
jh1 said:
I am pretty sure all they have to have is negligence - i.e. a reasonable person not only could have forseen the possible outcome but would have taken steps to prevent said outcome, etc...

At some point, negligence can and is criminal.

The thing is - the 'reasonable person' test is alot more of a touchy area when it comes to youngins. Not sure how old he is or what his maturity level is but that would most certainly play into it. There are some pretty fucking smart and onery kids out there....

I know for myself that there was never a point in my life that I was capable of playing with fire but wasn't aware of the seriousness of my actions....
When I started the forest fire I described in an earlier post - I never once thought that could happen. I was just having some fun with a torch.
 
reno240 said:
When I started the forest fire I described in an earlier post - I never once thought that could happen. I was just having some fun with a torch.



1. How old were you?

2. Where'd you get the torch from?
 
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