Man charged in Desert Hot Springs fire that displaced 5 adults
A 29-year-old man pleaded not guilty to a pair of felonies for allegedly causing a fire that displaced five adults from their single-story duplex in Desert Hot Springs.
Carl Johnson was charged with arson of an inhabited property and possession of a fire/explosive device. He was arraigned Thursday afternoon at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. He pled not guilty to all charges and had his bail set to $250,000. He is scheduled to return to court on July 20.
The fire was reported at 2:35 a.m. Monday in the 66000 block of Desert View Avenue, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The duplex was fully involved in flames when firefighters arrived, officials said.
The American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the displaced residents. No injuries were reported.
One of the victims in the fire was DJ Dave Acosta and his wife. They lost everything after only having seconds to escape.
A GoFundMe was started to help the Acostas rebuild their lives.
Click here to donate to the GoFundMe page.
According to court records, Johnson pleaded guilty in January to violating a restraining order and battery on a person with whom he was living. He was on probation in that case when he allegedly caused the fire.
