The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has announced a handful of charges against a Temple City man accused of deliberately setting a fire that killed three of his roommates. last Sunday.
Xuanhuan Zhang, 64, faces three counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder over the devastating fire. Prosecutors added special allegations that Zhuang lay in wait and was involved in committing the crime of arson and multiple murders. If convicted, Zhuang faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.
“Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims who are now struggling with this profound loss. No words can express the sadness felt in our community over this senseless act,” said District Attorney George Gascón.
According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the fire started at a home in the 600 block of Sultana Avenue around 5 p.m. Neighbors described the scene as chaotic as officers ran from the house with some residents.
“I had just entered my house and heard some screaming and wailing,” said Jane Guzman de Leon. “It was quite wrong, it sounded strange, so I went outside to check it out and I saw the house completely engulfed in flames from the inside. There was fire coming out of the windows, black smoke coming out of the top and so I just called 911.”
After firefighters extinguished the flames, they found three dead victims in the charred remains of the house. Staff treated two of Zhang’s roommates at the scene and took them to a local hospital.
“Our Arson and Explosives Unit prosecutors will work diligently to hold the perpetrator accountable for his actions,” Gascón said. “The office’s Bureau of Victim Services is available to assist victims and their families with trauma-informed resources in times of need.”
Zhang’s arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday.
