California Kimberly-Clark warehouse arson suspect pleads not guilty to state charges

The 29-year-old man accused of igniting the massive six-alarm fire that destroyed an Ontario warehouse last week pleaded not guilty to state charges in a San Bernardino County courtroom on Monday.

Highland resident Chamel Abdulkarim appeared in the arraignment hearing after the initially scheduled session was continued on Friday due to an undisclosed health matter. He was formally charged with one count of aggravated arson and six counts of arson of a structure or forest land, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. All charges are felony accusations.

Abdulkarim, an employee of a third-party distributor of the Kimberly-Clark paper goods warehouse in Ontario, allegedly filmed himself lighting multiple pallets of toilet paper on fire inside the 1.2 million square foot building. It was destroyed last Tuesday as a result. 

As many as 20 employees were inside the building at the time the fire started, but all were safe and accounted for, according to prosecutors.

Neighbors living near the Ontario warehouse say Abdulkarim should face more than arson charges, as equipment still smolders at the site and questionable air quality lingers after last week's massive blaze, covering an area the size of 21 football fields.

"It was really scary, especially when I have a special needs son. So for me to see that and I had to run with him, it was, like I was scared," neighbor Pinky Prajapati said, as many in the neighborhood had to evacuate when the fire broke out.

In the video posted to social media, the man can be heard saying, "Should have paid us more."

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a news conference last week that Abdulkarim allegedly boasted about the act in phone and text conversations with friends, at one point comparing himself to Luigi Mangione, who is the suspect in a murder case in the Dec. 2024 New York City shooting death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

"I just cost these [expletive] billions [of dollars]," Abdulkarim allegedly told other individuals via phone call or text message. "All you had to do was pay us enough to live. Pay us more of the value WE bring. Not corporate. Didn't see the shareholders picking up a shift."

Essayli announced a federal arson charge against Abdulkarim, but he said he's letting the state case play out before proceeding.

"I'm not a judge, I'm not a lawmaker, but he did put all of our lives in danger," Prajapati said.

Abdulkarim is next due in state court on May 6.