Ontario Warehouse Arsonist Now Faces Federal Charges After Filming Himself Setting Blaze

The man accused of burning down a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse in Ontario this week is now facing federal charges, the Justice Department announced Friday Chamel Abdul Karim, 29, of Highland, has been charged with arson of a building used in interstate commerce, days after his arrest Tuesday.

The fire broke out around 12:30 a.m. on April 7 at a Kimberly-Clark distribution center on the eastern edge of the Inland Empire, burning for hours and causing an estimated $500 million in damage. Twenty employees inside made it out safely, though residents nearby were forced to evacuate and spent days cleaning ash that fell across the region.

Investigators say Karim, who worked at the warehouse through a third-party distributor called NFI Industries, filmed himself lighting multiple pallets of paper goods on fire and posted the videos to social media. As he set the fires, investigators say he stated on video, "If you're not going to pay us enough to live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this."

He later told others by phone and text, "I just cost these billions," and "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."

Investigators say Karim was initially reported missing after the fire, before being identified as the suspect. NFI Industries says it is cooperating with the investigation.

He is expected to be arraigned on state criminal charges this morning in San Bernardino County Superior Court. If convicted on the federal charge, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. The FBI, ATF, Ontario Police, and Ontario Fire Department are all investigating.