Esperanza Fire suspect arrested

[pfish]

Murder charges have been filed against the man that supposedly started the wildfire, which killed 5 US Forest Service firefighters last month.

Among then are Capt. Mark Loutzenhiser, 44
Engineer Jess McLean, 27
Asst. Engineer Jason McKay, 27
Firefighter Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20
Firefighter Pablo Cerda, 23

The two firefighters were seasonal employees. There is no discrimination when it comes to rank, employment, or experience. They were all killed in the line of duty, protecting the public and supporting their families.

The suspect has been charged with 5 counts of 1st degree Murder, and 11 counts of arson. He is facing life with no parole, as well as the death penalty.

RIVERSIDE, California (AP) -- Authorities on Thursday filed murder and arson charges carrying the death penalty against a man suspected of setting a Southern California wildfire last week that killed five firefighters.

The suspect, Raymond Lee Oyler, 36, was in police custody after he was arrested in connection with two June fires in the Banning Pass area, a windy corridor that carries Interstate 10 between mountain ranges west of Palm Springs.

October's blaze was the deadliest for firefighters since 14 were killed in July 1994 near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, according to the National Interagency Fire Center statistics. (Fire victims)

Oyler, of Beaumont, California, will also face two so-called special circumstances, one alleging murders committed during arson and another alleging multiple murders, District Attorney-elect Rod Pacheco Pacheco said.

The charges are punishable by life in prison without parole or the death penalty, Pacheco said.

The fire was stoked by Santa Ana winds as it swept southwest through the San Jacinto Mountains. The flames overran the fire crew, destroyed 34 homes and charred more than 60 square miles before being contained Monday.

Three firefighters died at the scene, and a fourth died soon after at a hospital. A fifth was taken off life support and died this week.

Investigators interviewed Oyler on October 27, served a search warrant on his residence Monday, then arrested him Tuesday.

In Joplin, Missouri, police and court records show Oyler had mostly minor run-ins with the law from 1997 through 1999. The most severe was a 1999 misdemeanor charge of violating a protection order by entering his wife's apartment while she was out. The couple divorced in 2001.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

[mkewman]

hang him by his balls!

 

[dangitdoug]

hang him by his balls!

One at a time!!

Doug K

 

[landonjensen]

WE should kill him really slowly and painfully, maybe burn 90% of his body to and give him no pain killers?

 

[Eng74]

I hope they got the right guy. On the news stations here in SoCal one guy that they interviewed said he saw two teenagers. I know that LE and eveyone has been keeping really quit on everything about it so I hope they are right for the familys so they do not have to go through it again. I am all for the death penalty but it just dosen't seem right for him. It is an easy out for him. What they should do with him I really don't know and I aways have an idea of what they should do.

 

[jim293]

The guy that they arrested for this Esperanza Fire was supposed to have started a few fires earlier this year. My question is if they knew that he did this why the heck didn't they arrest him earlier.

 

[Markb]

Arson crimes are very difficult to prove, as I'm sure everybody knows by now. I'm speculating here, but arresting him "too early" could have jepoardized any case that the investigators had at the time. No one could have predicted this tragedy, but at the same time, unless they can solidly connect him to the crime, it could be difficult to convict. Look at the John Orr case (former Glendale FD Arson Investigator). Granted, he know what he was doing, but he was lighting fires for years before he was finally caught and convicted. Here's a brief synopsis for those who are unfamiliar.
http://www.courttv.com/onair/shows/thesystem/a_f_episodes/firestarter.html

Mark

 

[Harlute]

You would think that arson crimes would be hard to prove, but I hear the CDF investigators actually have a good conviction rate.

I think that if a person has done something worthy of death, they should simply be executed without people inflicting unusual punishments. Let's not bring ourselves down to their level.

 

[mkewman]

I think that if a person has done something worthy of death, they should simply be executed without people inflicting unusual punishments. Let's not bring ourselves down to their level.

my statement was somewhat in jest. i just hope he gets a taste of what justice feels like.

 

[Eng74]

Just a heads up for people the USFS released the report on what went wrong on Thursday the 9th. Copies should be getting out into the feild soon, I haven't found it on the web.

 

[SCPD]

In a process that takes several months, a complete report will be released and put on the Internet regarding how these firefighters found themselves in circumstances which they could not escape. The report for the Storm King Fire and the 33 Mile Canyon Fire are still on the net and are very factual and complete. Until the complete report is out no one should speculate on what happened. I hope the recently released report does not go too far in reaching conclusions as very often only a complete gathering of the details will allow for a solid conclusion.

 

[MCIAD]

For those who are interested, the Suspect for the Esperanza Fire has now been named a suspect in the Old Fire from a few years ago. The Old fire is the incident that caused the entire mountain communities of Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Rim of the World, etc. to be evacuated for over a week.

The ironic thing here is that we were vacationing in Lake Arrowhead when the Old Fire broke out, and we were among the evacuated. This weekend, while again vacationing in the Arrowhead area (Crestline) we heard the news that the suspect in the Esperanza was also a suspect in the Old.

 

[landonjensen]

maybe we should put him in a car and have a fire surround him and burn 90% of his body then put him on life support with no pain meds. :evil:

 

[pfish]

As Harlute stated very well...

I think that if a person has done something worthy of death, they should simply be executed without people inflicting unusual punishments. Let's not bring ourselves down to their level.

 

[kd6ecz]

Oyler receives death sentence in Riverside - San Bernardino County Sun

Oyler receives death sentence in Riverside

By Mike Cruz
Posted: 06/05/2009 09:49:24 AM PDT

Convicted arsonist Raymond Lee Oyler was sentenced to death this morning in Riverside County Superior Court.

Superior Court Judge W. Charles Morgan followed the jury's March 18 recommendation that 38-year-old Oyler receive the death penalty for lighting the 2006 Esperanza Fire which killed five federal firefighters.

The wildfire, which ignited Oct. 26, 2006, on a hillside in Cabazon, created chaos and devastation for nearby communities. Intense winds quickly carried the flames up the north side of the San Jacinto Mountains to Twin Pines, where they eventually consumed 41,000 acres.

The crew of San Bernardino National Forest Engine 57 had assisted with evacuations and was defending an unoccupied home perched at the top of a steep drainage when flames washed over them.

Killed were Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20; Mark Loutzenhiser, 43; Jason McKay, 27; Jess McLean, 27; and Pablo Cerda, 23.

 

[jrholm]

I hope all the fire fighters in Heaven are there when he arrives at the pearly gates so they can kick him down the chute for St. Peter.

 

[cousinkix1953]

hang him by his balls!

NO! Let's hang him upside down by the ankles, just like some angry Italians did with Benito Mussolini in 1943. Then we can throw rocks at this piece of s--- before stringing him up the right way for eternity...

 

[Lt51506]

As I have prayed for the victims families, I now pray that Oyler finds the eternal fire he loves so much and enjoys his own personal hell.