Defendant in Deadly LA Wildfires Wanted ‘Revenge Against Society,’ Prosecutor Says

In opening statements, attorneys sparred over the cause of the catastrophic Palisades Fire and the defendant’s alleged motive.

Destruction caused by the Palisades Fire near Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

LOS ANGELES—More than a year after one of the most destructive fires in U.S. history, attorneys on Wednesday offered opening salvos in a federal jury trial accusing a 29-year-old man of sparking the initial flame that would lead, a week later, to the catastrophic inferno that claimed the lives of 12 people and reduced thousands of homes to ash in the wealthy coastal enclave of the Pacific Palisades.

“He wanted revenge—revenge against society because he blamed society for all his troubles,” U.S. Attorney Mark Williams told the court.