A San Diego businessman, whose food truck was burned down in 2021, was convicted Feb. 21 of arson, insurance fraud, and grand theft.
Avonte Hartsfield, 27, was found guilty by a San Diego jury for setting fire to his Rollin Roots food truck in October 2021, in order to collect on an insurance claim. He is due for sentencing in March, and faces up to seven years and four months behind bars.
Mr. Hartsfield received more than $300,000 after the blaze, of which $235,000 was from his insurance company, and $120,000 in donations, nearly all from a GoFundMe campaign.
He was at the scene, according to surveillance footage, walking to and from the truck shortly before the incident, Deputy District Attorney Judy Taschner told jurors.
Authorities also said a car appearing to be Mr. Hartsfield’s vehicle was seen arriving at the scene before the fire and then leaving after it started.
Mr. Hartsfield told police that his food truck had been broken into and his equipment had been vandalized shortly before the incident took place and that he was only at the location to check on his business.
He later said the fire was started by a rice cooker he had forgotten to turn off in the truck.
Mr. Hartsfield had also been searching on the Internet about topics regarding burning items, the prosecutor in the case said.
