An alleged California arsonist who filmed himself setting a warehouse full of people on fire compared himself to Luigi Mangione after starting the blaze, according to court documents.
Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, allegedly posted a first-person video on Instagram on April 7 igniting multiple pallets at the Kimberly-Clark warehouse in Ontario, per a criminal complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Central District of California viewed by the Daily Mail.
‘If you’re not going to pay us enough to f***ing live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this s***,’ Abdulkarim said, according to the complaint.
The footage then allegedly showed his hand holding a lighter as he added, ‘Should have paid us enough to f***ing live.’
‘You know, we may not get paid enough to f***ing live,’ Abdulkarim said, per the legal filing. ‘But these b****es dirt cheap.’
He also said that the ‘1% is a f***ing joke’ and claimed that he ‘didn’t see the share holders picking up a shift,’ the complaint added.
During a call with an unidentified witness, Abdulkarim allegedly said his motivation for starting the fire was ‘f***ing eight hours, six days … stuck paying rent on a bulls*** a** apartment that I can’t afford to f***ing live.’
He added that ‘a lot of people are going to understand’ and compared his actions to when ‘Luigi popped that mutherf***er [sic],’ referring to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024.
Chamel Abdulkarim, 29, was charged with arson after allegedly setting a California warehouse on fire on April 7
Abdulkarim allegedly posted a first-person video igniting the blaze on Instagram, per a criminal complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Central District of California
The fire caused about $500 million worth of damage, per the legal filing. Abdulkarim was allegedly heard bragging about igniting the ‘inventory’
‘If you’re not going to pay us enough to f***ing live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this s***,’ Abdulkarim was heard saying.
During that same call, Abdulkarim also allegedly mentioned gripes with ‘pedophiles out here f***ing children, profiting off … f***ing wars.’
Abdulkarim’s motivations were further described in a spate of text messages sent to a coworker around 1.33am, per the complaint.
The alleged messages included ‘Billionaires profiting off of war…’ and ‘All you had to do was pay us enough to live.’
‘Pay us more of the value WE bring,’ Abdulkarim allegedly texted his coworker. ‘Not corporate.’
Abdulkarim has been charged with arson of a building used in interstate and foreign commerce and used in activities affecting interstate and foreign commerce.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum of up to 20 years behind bars.
After setting the fire, Abdulkarim allegedly bragged about how he ‘just cost these motherf***ers billions.’
The 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse was fully engulfed in flames by around 1.15am, according to the complaint, causing about $500 million worth of damage.
‘There goes your inventory,’ Abdulkarim allegedly said in the last shot of his Instagram video.
The warehouse Abdulkarim allegedly set on fire was operated by NFI Industries, a third-party distribution company for Kimberly-Clark products.
Abdulkarim worked at NFI Industries, according to the Ontario Fire Department, but the nature or duration of his job was unclear.
The same Bayern Munich lighter seen in the Instagram video was later found on Abdulkarim by police, according to the complaint
The Ontario, California, warehouse was completely engulfed in flames by around 1.15am, though all its workers were safely evacuated
Abdulkarim told an unidentified witness during a phone call that his actions were like when ‘Luigi popped that mutherf***er [sic]’
The warehouse that was set on fire was operated by NFI Industries, a third party distribution company for Kimberly-Clark products
Eighteen employees were inside the building at the time and they were all evacuated safely with no injuries reported.
As the fire spread, Ontario Police Department officers arrived at the scene looking for Abdulkarim.
Officers found him about two miles away walking along a sidewalk, and he allegedly told them that he was ‘turning himself in.’
When a police officer asked Abdulkarim where he worked, he allegedly replied, ‘That fire s*** right there.’
‘I’m confessing,’ Abdulkarim added, per the complaint.
At that point, he was cuffed and officers found a lighter with FC Bayern Munich branding on him, which was the same one seen in the first-person footage of the fire.
After he was taken into custody, an officer asked Abdulkarim if his name was Chamel, to which he said, ‘Yes, that is the name on my wallet.’
Then, he allegedly refused to continue speaking to law enforcement.
‘I don’t answer questions,’ Abdulkarim told police after his arrest, per the complaint.
Abdulkarim is being held at West Valley Detention Center without bail.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the US Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and NFI Industries for further comment.
It was not immediately clear if Abdulkarim had an attorney.