Prosecutor: Suspect wanted revenge for mom's deportation
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A German man set nearly 50 fires in a California arson spree because he wanted revenge for his mother's deportation, a prosecutor told jurors Monday.
Burkhart's anti-American outburst during a detention hearing for his mother in 2011 cemented his likeness in the mind of a deputy U.S. marshal, who authorities say recognized him after police began circulating a video showing the man wanted in the arson spree.
In a brief opening statement, Deputy Public Defender Steve Schoenfield said prosecutors can tie Burkhart to only six or seven fires and said a sanity phase of the trial is almost a certainty.