Hollywood Fire Sparks Fraud Charges for L.A. Pair

Hollywood, Calif., residents Juan Ortiz, 44, and Joseph Lewellen, 67, were charged with first-degree murder, arson, and insurance fraud due to a fire purportedly set by the pair at the Palomar Hotel in Hollywood according to the Associated Press.

The fire killed two people last August and prompted the 12 residents to file a $5 million lawsuit against owner Ortiz and his stepfather, Lewellen, alleging that the pair instructed others to set the fire and the hotel did not have an adequate escape plan. The suit seeks unspecified damages and a court order placing the hotel in a trust for benefit of the plaintiffs.

An investigation revealed over 40 gallons of gasoline were allegedly spread throughout the four floors of the hotel leading to an early morning explosion and fire. Fatalities included Ortiz’s own brother, as well as a mother who fell to her death moments after her children were rescued by firefighters.