The man charged with setting an Ontario warehouse on fire had “hostility to capitalism,” according to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, was charged with arson of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce and used in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
“He posted Instagram videos showing himself lighting the merchandise on fire in the warehouse,” Essayli said on Friday. “He said, quote, ‘You know, if you're not going to pay us enough to effing live, at least pay us enough to not do this.’”
Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, of Highland, is charged with arson of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce and used in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce in connection with the massive blaze that destroyed an Ontario warehouse on April 7.
He faces a… pic.twitter.com/XxNDHvSmsS
— US Attorney L.A. (@USAO_LosAngeles) April 10, 2026
Essayli also said one witness said that Abdulkarim compared himself to Luigi Mangioni, the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Abdulkarim is set to be arraigned on Monday.
The fire at the Kimberly-Clarke warehouse happened early Tuesday morning. There were no injuries reported, and Abdulkarim was arrested shortly after.
KNX News’ Craig Fiegener reported that the paper product alone inside the warehouse was worth $500 million, and the building itself was worth $150 million.
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