Man Pleads Guilty to Arson in Randall Lamb Fire During La Mesa Protest

Rioters acceptable occurrence to the California Bank and Trust gathering successful Oakland, Calif., connected April 16, 2021. (Ethan Swope/AP Photo)

EL CAJON, Calif.—A antheral who acceptable occurrence to a historical commercialized operation successful downtown La Mesa pursuing a constabulary brutality protestation that devolved into rioting pleaded blameworthy connected Oct. 27 to arson and vandalism charges.

Daniel Louis Sandoval, 44, from Campo, was arrested astir six months aft prosecutors accused him of burning down the Randall Lamb and Associates Building connected Palm Avenue connected May 31, 2020.

The structure, which had been designated arsenic historically important by the La Mesa Historical Society, was 1 of the respective buildings, including 2 banks, destroyed by occurrence during the unrest.

In summation to the Randall Lamb gathering fire, Sandoval pleaded blameworthy to a vandalism complaint successful transportation with Spa Piel, a adjacent business. He’s slated to beryllium sentenced connected Nov. 29.

The protestation was sparked by the Memorial Day in-custody decease of George Floyd successful Minneapolis and the apprehension of different Black man, Amaurie Johnson, successful La Mesa a fewer days later.

Johnson’s apprehension by La Mesa Police Department Officer Matthew Dages was captured connected video and proliferated implicit societal media, prompting extended backlash against the constabulary section and a national suit filed by Johnson against the city.

Dages has since been charged with a felony number of filing a mendacious constabulary study for allegedly lying astir the ground of his interaction with Johnson.

The protestation began with demonstrators marching connected Interstate 8 successful the afternoon, earlier the radical moved to the La Mesa constabulary station. Though the protestation began peacefully, confrontation broke retired astatine nightfall, with immoderate protesters throwing objects and officers firing beanbag rounds and teardrop state to disperse the crowd.

Sandoval’s blameworthy plea marks the 3rd felony condemnation successful transportation with the riot. Ricky Bernard Cooper, 34, pleaded blameworthy past week to arson and burglary charges for the occurrence that destroyed the Chase slope subdivision connected Spring Street.

Zachary Alexander Karas, 29, was sentenced successful August to 33 months successful national situation aft being convicted by a assemblage of bringing Molotov cocktails to the protest.