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German-born architect Gerhard Albert Becker was arrested Saturday on his arrival from Spain at LAX, and he's scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in Superior Court. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death last February of LAFD veteran Glenn Allen, who was fighting a fire at a home in the 1500 block of North Viewsite Drive. Becker reportedly oversaw the home's construction. From the LA Times:
The charge comes after a more than yearlong investigation by Los Angeles police with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Los Angeles Fire Department....Prosecutors allege that Becker, a German national, built an 18-foot "fire trough" through the home despite being warned of the dangers it may cause. It was described as an oversize indoor fire pit.
At the time, authorities said the ceiling collapsed and killed Allen and injured five other firefighters. They believed the fire started in the fireplace, then spread to the walls and ceiling areas.
They said the attic was equipped with plastic pipes for fire sprinklers. The fire melted the pipes, flooding the attic and filling the insulation with water. The weight of the insulation appears to have caused a large section of the ceiling to collapse, injuring Allen and five other firefighters, officials said.
Mayor Villaraigosa, LAFD chief Brian Cummings and LAPD chief Charlie Beck are scheduled to meet the media at 3:30 at police headquarters.
Allen, who was 58, is the most recent LAFD firefighter to die while on duty. He had 36 years on the job. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of his death. Here was our coverage from last year:
Glenn Allen, Los Angeles firefighter was 58 *
Glenn Allen honored by thousands