sot-derick ion almena 7:50 "i lay my body down there every night. put our children bed there every night. there, we made music, we created art. we opened our home. --yo me acostaba alli cada noche, aseguro almeda. dijo que sus niÑos se dormian alli cada noche donde habian creado arte y un hogar abierto a todos. .y cuando se le cuestiono sobre lo que se ganaba por lo que recolectaba en renta, contest con una pregunta. sot-derick ion almena 9:35 "profit? this is not profit, this is a loss, and this is a mass grave. i'm only here to say, i'm only here to say i'm sorry and that everything that i did was to make this a beautiful stronger togetherpeople didn't' lk throh those drs because itwas a" almena.pregun ..gananciano hay nancia. es una rdida y a sa comun. solestoy aqu pardeciro lo que queria era hacer una hermosa y fuerte comunidad que abraza a la gente, afirmo ademas, que quienes entraban por las puertas del barco fantasma no lo hacian pensando que era un lugar horrible. sot-derick ion almena 10:30 "i didn't do anything in my life that would lead m

in fact, we talked to law enforcement about derick ion. they say they have spoken with him but you heard the da say it is just too early to talk about criminal charges. joe vazquez, kpix 5 thank you. as for those who are still an identified or unaccounted for, oakland police have been scouring nearby streets to try to track them down. >> what they did was they went through and they looked at all of the parked vehicles, gathered license plate numbers for any of the victims that may have driven to this location. >> we told investigators are now comparing registration information from those vehicles to the list of the missing.>>> facebook was quick to activate its safety check in feature to allow friends to know that they are safe. one of the artists performing last night was a dj who goes by golden donna. his real name is joel shanahan. he used facebook to let fans know he made it out and later posted on his artist page that joe is heartbroken with several friends among the missing, sending love to everyone affected by this horrific event. >

dropped the case. >> derick ion almena paid $4,57 to rent the warehouse and charged pennant $1,500 to saying he was not in it for the money. >> the sharks honor those impacted by the tragedy and they will hold a moment of silence before the game at s.a.p. center the on top of that half of the shark foundation 50/50 raffle tonight and saturday will be donated to the men red cross. fans will be able to make donateses at both games. >> foam nfl stars and oakland latives raising money for fire victims and their families, and began fares family foundation is accepting online donations with a link on abc7news.com. you can also make dough making -- donations in broadway. coverage conditions on our website and we will continue to send alerts through the newsup when new information is released. >> your accweather forecast with meteorologist mike nicco. >> we will talk temperatures, and start in san francisco where it is the same if not milder, remember this time yesterday, west portal and revideo were 35 and now they are in the my 40s with everyone else but for lake merritt at 42 and the finan

derick ion almena pled guilty in january and was sentenced to 36 on probation. an investigation into what was going on inside this warehouse was open on november 13 but the city never got investigators inside access. >> thank you for that. >>> president obama released a statement a short time ago saying today our prayers go out to the people of oakland in the aftermath of this weekend's deadly warehouse fire. oakland is one of the most diverse and creative cities in our country and as families and residents pull together in the wake of this awful tragedy, they will have the unwavering support of the american people.>> there are several ways to help the victims. the gray area foundation for the arts as an online fundraising page. the amount raised tops $260,000.>>> the readers and oakland a's are matching up to $50,000 in donations on a webpage. more than $98,000 has been pledged.>>> the warriors are involved as well. the team will donate $50,000 to the unity council to help people affected by the fire. the warriors are donating proceeds from saturday night's 50-

>> derick ion almena is here moments ago. we have video of him surrounded by a few men, here to support him when he made a few statements saying that he created the artist collective to let young people do what they needed to do, that it was not about profit. this have been questions of the people would were living here, paying rent, but they were not legally given power for the electricity in the building. there have been questions about safety inside the building. >> i did not do anything ever in my life to get to this moment. [ inaudible ] i would rather get on the floor i would rather get on the floor and be trample by the sorry. >> there is still heavy equipment out here being used in the recovery of the and the power is still out here. they turned it off in case the crane they brought in being used, to hit the a power line and was a threat to the authorities. they turned off all the power and we expect it to be on at 8:00 this morning the number of fatalities here in the fire is 36. the coroner's van was brought in over

this is you tube video of derick ion. he built this artists' collective and rented out living spaces to people. there were even 5 rv's parked inside of the warehouse. he is facing a backlash over his response to the fire. in a facebook post after the fire broke out he wrote, everything that i worked so hard for is gone, he did not mention the people that died. one of his former tenants said there was not much chance to escape for the people at the party. the people that called the building home said the ghost ship exists in part because of the bay area's housing crisis. >> san francisco has always been a home for artists and writers and musicians and people that do not fit in anywhere else. there is no play to go any more. there is no place that we can afford. there is not a lot of space that anyone can afford any more. spaces like these need to keep happening. >> reporter: the owner of the building leased the space to derick ion to be used as an artists' collective. it was not meant to be a place to live. before the fire

he goes by the name of derick ion. he ran the ghost ship artist collective in the warehouse that went up in flames. and he is currently on probation. kpix 5's devin fehely with a mixed picture from people who had known him. there -- devon? >> reporter: he had been staying at the marriott in downtown oakland since fridays fire. he's the man with ardent supporters and outspoken detractors. a popular and polarizing figure now at the center of the investigation into the deadly fire. >> nothing to say to you. get out of here. >> reporter: tensions ran high among friends of derick ion. the leader of the ghost ship collective. >> [ yelling ] >> reporter: online videos he can at times and -- appear erratic and others engaging if a bit rambling. >> build houses and grew lives. >> reporter: current and former friends say that's the essence of a man who created a cult of personality a goose -- living in a ramshackle warehouse that was the scene of friendly -- deadly fire. but records paint a darker picture. he was charged with re

the owner of the warehouse leased to an artist collective run by ghost ship founder derick ion almenaent ready out part of the building to many other artists who worked and lived inside the structure. party program metro rented space insides the warehouse for the friday concert and he advertised friday concert and he advertised the party on social media. did you know slow internet can actually hold your business back? say goodbye to slow downloads, slow backups, slow everything. comcast business offers blazing fast and reliable internet that's 10 times faster than slow internet from the phone company. say hello to internet speeds up to 150 mbps. and add phone and tv for only $34.90 more a month. call today. comcast business. built for business. >>> we are getting new information on the oakland warehouse fire. officials updated us moments ago. crews did not fine any new victims so the number stays at 36. >> they do not specific the number to go up and cries have cleared 85% of the building. officials told us they have notified 26 families with nine tentative i.d.'s and one is unidentif

three years ago cps removed the children of der derick almena, also known as derick ion. the family was not there when the fire broke out. questions are being raised whether or not officials missed warning signs about the dangers at the warehouse, i visited child protective services to see if they shared their findings with other agencies. we have pieced together the conditions inside of the warehouse that led to cps involvement. issues began to surface when the couple's daughters were four years old and six and 11. there was a sexually explicit party at the warehouse. someone complained. we spoke to a woman that helped take care of the children. >> derick was in denial. i stood in front of the building and said, your kids are in danger, he said i was being hysterical. >> reporter: derick almena, also known as derick ion asked for a restraining order against this former resident, shelly mack. the children's mother said that her children are condemned by slander. the family was back together after a court heeng. family services said they cannot discuss -- hearing. family s

the man that ran the place was derick ion. some people that knew him described him as volatile.is is you tube video of the man people knew as derick ion, he built this artist community and rented out living spaces. there were 5 rv's parked inside of the warehouse where people lived. he is facing a backlash over his response to the fire. in a facebook post he wrote, everything i worked so hard for is gone, making no mention of the people that died in the fire. one of the tenets said the fire spread quickly and there was no time to escape. >> i was getting dizzy, i was calling for help but nobody could hear me, the music was going, i managed to get outside. other people were coming out. i started to call 91 walkup and -- 911 and a minute after a got out, the power went out and everyone was trapped inside. >> reporter: city officials said derick ion did not get a permit for the party. as for the owner owner of the building, they leased the space to use as an artist's collective but it was not meant to be a place to live. the sheriffs department said they are focused on recovering t

derick ion almena gateses more questions as officials identify more victims of the fire. >> i am regular. >> i am kristen sze. all the investigation into the cause continues crews working around the clock report more progress. 85% of the rubble has new been searched. our reporter, amy hollyfield, is at the scene in check's fruitvale district. >> the death toll stands 36 victims have been found. lock behind me. can you see the crane. they still removing debris from the building. we have seen buckets of debris being hauled out of there and the power is still out to 12 customers. the sergeant said as long as you see the crane will you know the power is turned off because of the power lines. there is still a corner of the building they cannot go into unil it is shored up. crews stood around waiting for the all-clear from inside the ghost ship building. a corner of the building still needs to be searched but is considered too unstable right now. and at risk for first responders. who want to work and understand why they can't. >> this was the right call. the rue distant call. we are glad they

we reached out to derick ion almena but he has not returned our messages. as of tonight. he also hasn't responded to comments on facebook. >> steve:coming up at eight. community outrage about the warehouse and how it was operated. we're hearing from city officials about who should be held accountable. 33 people have been confirmed dead tonight in a massive warehouse fire in oakland. that number is expected to rise as crews continue to sift through the debris looking for bodies. today we learned this tragedy has hit especially close to home for the alameda county sheriff's department. ".yes that is true." today officials were able to identify 7 of the victims who died in the fire. their names have not been released. more community outrage about the warehouse and how it was operated. kron four's terisa estacio spoke with one city leader who wants answers, he also believes the owner of the building must be held accountable. we're learning much more about the victims who died inside the artist collective. alameda county sheriff's sgt. ray kelly spoke out today during a news c

he goes by the name derick ion and he's currently on probation. people who have known him say he is aquariuses mattic but polarizing -- a charismatic but polarizing figure, but court records paint a darker picture. he was charged with receiving stolen property in 2015, but pled guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to three years probation. friends tell us ion's children were removed from the ghost ship because of concerns about the living conditions. >>> there are many other buildings just like the so- called ghost ship here in the bay area where people have created illegal homes. coming up why one woman who lived in one of these buildings says she'll move back in. a silicon >> two significant weather changes coming this week, first the cold. there's a freeze watch in effect for the central valley in lake county for tomorrow night and then rain, one day that looks like a washout. find out which day it is next. curity concerns... >> then why president obama has blocked the sale of a silicon valley company ♪ rooms come in all sorts of shapes an

>> derick ion almena is here moments ago.a few men, here to support him when he made a few statements saying that he created the artist collective to let young people do what they

friends of derick ion lashed out at the media in oakland. n who is at the center of the investigation into friday's fire, has created a charismatic -- >> bill firms, grow lives. >> reporter: quirky, controversial online persona. appearing downright erotic at times. current and former friends say that is the essence of a man who created a personality a mixed bohemian artists working in a ramshackle warehouse that was the scene of friday's fire but court records painted darker picture. he was charged with receiving stolen property in 2015 but pled guilty to a misdemeanor and was sentenced to 36 months probation. his arrest along with concerns about living conditions at the ghost ship cost him custody of his children at one point. his partner make a allison posted about the couple's efforts to regain custody of their children including parenting, anger management, and domestic violence classes in addition to twice-weekly direct testing. the children were spared the dead land chaotic scene that claimed three dozen lives. ion was short -- was shar

dan noyes went through court records from deck derrick -- from derick ion almena the founder.er an argument with a promoter and a friend in january of 2015 the men filed restraining orders against derick ion almena saying they suffered injuries but did not appear in court and it was denied. the same month, derick ion almenas with arrested at a warehouse on possession of stolen property. he was on probation at time of the weekend fire. a federal tenant said people lived in the trailers parked on the first floor and small areas throughout the warehouse and up to 18 to 20 people at a time. >> if you are choosing to live in a space like that, you are not choosing it based on safety. you are choosing it based on the people you choose, based on the community. >> derrick $paid $4,500 a month to rent the warehouse and would charge denants $400 to $1,500 for rent. we up to 20 people at a time, and he was not in it for the money. >> we spoke with the alameda county sheriff about the last several days and how they have been for the department's tireless team of workers. >> tough to do re

city officials say derick ion almena needed a special permit for the friday night party which he did. >> the alameda county sheriff is asking families with loved ones stilt unaccounted for so save items for possible d.n.a. identification if it is needed. >> any family members or friends of the victims if preserve d.n.a.-type items, combs, brushes, security them in a background paperback. >> the sheriff said not to send the items until the coroner's bureau asks. >> this fire has touched extremely close to home for the sheriff's office, we have fund out that one of their deputies has been affected. here is how. >> the tragedy has hit very close to home for our agency. one of our deputies that we work with lost his son in this fire. >> it is unclear at this point in the deputy's son is among those who already have been publicly identified. >> a large candlelight vigil planned tonight at 9:00 p.m. at lake merritt to honor those lost in the fire, you can see on facebook 2,400 people have said they will attend. >> in san francisco, residents have an opportunity to honor the victims at a ca

thank you. >>> and more details now on derick ion. he was sentenced in january and spent two days in county jail. >> we want to show you what the ghost ship collected warehouse looked like before the fire. here is a side by side view on the left. you see the piles of old furniture stacked up outside the building and on the right a scorched building with sheriff's evidence tents set up outside. you can see the pictures online. it shows the debris and cluter that triggered an investigation. plus you can see way use help. it is all right on our home page >>> now to some other headlines. palo alto police say they arrested four people in connection with a smash and grab burglary early this morning. investigators say he was among as many as ten people who ran into the apple store moments after a rented suv punch add hole in the front glass windows. police also arrested 18-year-old erika white of oakland and two teenage boys ages 16 and 17. officers say they found an abandoned suv in front of the store and a second vehicle across the street

tmz spotted derick almena, also known as derick ion having dinner at dennys with some of the residentsaf ship. in a interview with nbc derick almena, also known as derick ion said he was very sorry about the fire but he did not say if he was accountable for the tragedy. >>> tonight at 7:00, the oakland city chorus will perform a concert for the victims. there is a reception and fundraiser at 6:00 hosted by the second friday organization. all proceeds from the event will be donated to a relief fund. >>> hundreds of members of the uc berkeley community held a memorial for the students and members of the community that died in the fire. one of the victim's twin sister was among those that shared their grief. >> i love you jenny and i miss you so much. she was my twin sister. she was my best friend. she was my light. she was my sun. >> friends and well wishers also wrote messages on large portraits of the victims to commemorate the event. on our website, ktvu.com, you will find more on the warehouse tragedy including the investigation. we also have updates on our ktvu fox news mobile app.

and this jacked up junction box that she september this letter to derick almena, also known as derick ion, demanding a safer place to live, she suggested a safer place. >> reporter: can you imagine trying to gelt out of here. >> you cannot get out regularly. with smoke, forget it. >> reporter: she said she sent exit plans to the manager, but he forgot them. two investigates has already uncovered documents showing how the city of oakland was also told 10 times about code problemses here, two of which were code violations. new documents show an inspector's comments written a week ago. cannot see if there is an illegal building from the sidewalk, the property has a chain link fence in front. >> nothing was up to code, everything was illegal. >> reporter: shelly is reliving her attempts to get help two years before. >> every person that came there and did not do anything is guilty. every police officer and housing inspector is guilty. >> reporter: that renter said she called the police for other incidents and was surprised that they never took notice about the conditions. she did not call abo

. >> attorneys for the creator of ghost ship art collective, derick ion almena, are defending their client and blaming the city. the fire department said there is no record of ins 12 years and the lawyers say derick ion almena committed no conduct amounting to criminal negligence and should not be made a scapegoat. >> we were in richmond and we are hearing from those who made their home inside of a similar warehouse. they are looking for a new place to live. following the ghost ship fire the richmond mayor order a closure of a remaining red tapped on friday, with six people and 15 artists now displaced. >> the mayor has made me homeless. i don't see how that is an improvement. it is the coldest season of the year so it is rough. >> officials say the inspection uncovered a number of safety violates requiring immediate attention. >> san francisco unified makes a bold move to attract new teachers to the district. why future educators may not have to attend college classes. >> a journalist suing a twitter >> a journalist suing a twitter user for an attack and >> and now, the forecast with mete

. >> our reporter spoke with derick ion almena the founder. after an argument with the party rome motor and his friend in 2015 men filed for restraining orders against deash $saying they oured injuries but did not appear in court and the restraining orders were denied. he was, derick ion almena, arrested on possession of stolen property on probation at the time of the weekend fire. >> former tenant said that people lived in trailers parked inside the first floor and in small areas throughout the warehouse as many as 18 to 20 people at a time. >> if you are choosing to live in a space like that you are not choosing it based on safety but based on the people you choose it based on the >> he paid $5,400 a month and charged tenants $400 to $1,500 for month and up to 20 people at a time, and derrick $said he was not in it for the money. we have a disturbing look at the ghost ship before the fire, and a woman lived in the fire for five months is shot this video showing a bathroom with hot waterpowerred by a prepain tank. temporary wiring will flowin

>> the survives of the something something fire had dyneller with the artist collective founder derick ion almena. tmz published this picture show the group gathered at continue any, and the staff paid for the entire meal. group reportedly went to the red cross to pickup colleagues after eating. >> $500,000 is donated to the fire relief fund on www. www.youcaring.com. a second fund has gathered $400,000 from the amendment's and raiders and warriors. >> developing news, the korean president is suspended arrest corruption scandal and images of people celebrate on the streets throughout the day. pairs are happening. the south korean lawmakers voted to impeach their president over her alleged links to a corruption scandal after many days of protests with the public calling for her removal. the court has six months to determine whether to end the presidency of the president. the south korean prime minister will handle her cuts. she is accused of taking advice from a secret confidant and apologied to the south korean people for her "negligence e we will watch developments. >> more troubles for d

she said she sent this letter to manager derick almena, also known as derick ion saying that the junk was a fire hazard. >> can you imagine this place, this clutters trying to get out. >> even if it was light, it would be hard to get out of there. >> reporter: she sent her demands to the manager asking for an exit plan. two investigates has uncovered documents showing how the city of oakland was told 10 times about code problems here, two of which were still open investigations from last month, one had no scheduled followup. new documents show an inspector's own comments written a week ago, cannot see if there is an illegal building from the sidewalk. the property has a chain link fence in the front. now the gate is gone. 36 people are dead. >> nothing was up to code. >> reporter: shelly is reliving her attempts to get help two years ago. >> every person that came out there and did not do anything is guilty, every police officer and housing inspector is guilty. >> reporter: that rebter, shelly mack said she called the police for other incidents and was surprised that they never took n

jobs at the ghost ship and said there was an upstairscien fire on thursday and warned the founder, derick ion almena, that it was too dangerous. >> i told him, you need to secure this place if. people are going to get hurt. all the fire inspections? regular inspections as required by law were not done at the ghost ship for a decade. >> i don't have an answer were we have to find out what happened and what was pissed. >> finding a cause to take weeks. >> names of two more victims have been released. alaina kane lived in oakland, a psychology ph.d student and her boyfriend, micah danemayer also died in the fire. 36-year-old joey matlock is described as philosopher of electronic music. he was the most gentle of all people. people. >> some survivors the staff paid for their entire meal and the group went to the red cross to pick up clothes after they ate. >> more than 500,000 has been donated to the relief fund on www. youcaring.com. another site has gathered $400,000 from the raiders and raiders and a's. >> breaking news from live desk. >> the breaking news, a new report released accusing a thou

derick ion almena is staying at a hotel in downtown oakland. >> people have been wondering if you haveo them. >> they're my children. they're my friends. they're my family. they're my loves. they're my future. what else do i have to say? >> he was tracked down at that hotel by abc 7 news reporter lilian kim. that's who you heard asking the question. it's not clear if his three children are also in the hotel, but you saw his wife there along with him. we don't know if the authorities have spoken to him yet or if they are looking to speak with him. but that's probable. >> yeah. you saw they had come out of the hotel, then they saw the reporter, or i should say lillian, and they turned around to go back in, but she had the persistence to stay with them and did eventually get to ask him a few questions, which he answered. he referred to those people inside as being his children. again, it is not clear if his three children are also in the hotel. we don't know if he meant that literally or figuratively. >>> there are worries tonight that there could be hundreds of other warehouse buildings

. >> we have learned from court records that the man going by derick ion is 46 years old. i spoke with a man who lived at the warehouse -- lived at the queer -- warehouse two years ago. >> he is smart and knowledgeable. he can be very charming. but he does have his little rage fits. he gets angry. he gets into his own space. . >> this is a minute long youtube video of ion acting eau ratcally from -- eratically in 2011e. would demand gay people living there make their own bathroom. his probation is for three years. his -- scents warehouse fire he has spoken out on social media only publicly. he said confirmed everything i worked so harped for are -- is gone. it's as i -- if i have awong from a dream and standing now in poverty of self-worth. faulty electrical wiring may have caused the fire police say. people say he may have changed the wiring in the past. >> do you know if he was at the warehouse friday night? >> we don't know in a -- that. i reached out to sergeant kelly. he tells me law enforcement is focused on helping the victim families at this point. i asked if he ne

derick ion almena leased the building from the owner, and leased it to 20 others although there was no zoning for it. >> and a new sexual assault charge, involving high school students who will face charges. police arrested the 15-year-old after a girl at another high school claimed she was assaulted following a football game. the boy was released because the investigation was on going. yesterday police reveal the 15-year-old is now facing sexual assault charges. his father said it was "consensual." >> starting today, only one courthouse in alameda will be open through the rest of the year. the others are closed because of budget issues. the courthouse in oakland on washington street is the only one open. staff is available to handle emergency matters. all court highways reopen on tuesday in january on the 3rd. >> now the forecast with meteorologist mike nicco. >> we have wet weather. yellow, oranges and reds and potential for moderate rain across the north bay from novato and petaluma and rohnert park and santa rosa and up to st. helena. the leading edge is pushing into the east bay w

the building was being used as an artist collective called "the ghost ship" - with founder derick ion alemena converting the warehouse into illegal living spaces authorities say were unsafe. much of the anger - and attention - now focused on alemena, who says he's not even though the building was virtually impossible to escape. kelly says: "there's metal security screens, almost like grates that are bolted into the structure and so that would have prevented anyone from breaking out a window." meanwhile, the mourning process continues... with some still in shock - and others angry at the conditions that led to this tragedy. mos says: "15 minutes could have changed everything, coulda been in there with them and been trapped." mos says: "it's just not right that in order to keep a building safe you have to evict people." on-cam tag some community groups here are directing their anger at city building inspectors- saying the city should have done more to investigate conditions at the warehouse after months of complaints by neighbors. in rcent of that budgasensearched 6 victims discovered--

last week and said there was an upstairs kitchen fire last thursday and he witnessed the founder, derick ion almena, that it was too dangerous inside. >> this was a little bit of fear and we put it out. [ inaudible ] i said people are going to get hurt. >> that is a photo that abc7 obligated from a photographer saying he took it inside the warehouse on saturday after the fire. you can see at the bottom of the screen all the damage to the building. all the identities of two are more of the victims have been released, one known as alana kane lived in oakland and a psychology ph.d student. her boyfriend, micah danemayer died. joey matlock is described as aness federal of electronic music was the most gentle of all people at 36. >> people geared at oakland's youth radio to grieve together and to comfort each other. some leaders talked about the victims they knew who died. there was a night of reflection for the arts community and their creative expression. >> a girlfriend is hoping a photograph can hope her heal. she wanted to find whoever took a photo of her and her boyfriend, griffin madden du

people are directing their anger at the man who helped run the building known as the ghost ship, derick ion almena. a criminal inquiry is now underway into the deadliest fire in the united states for more than a decade. james cook, bbc news. katty: you are watching "bbc world news america." still to come, there are more places to get your news than ever before, but fake stories pose a real danger. we take a look at the situation. new zealand's prime minister has unexpectedly step down after eight years in office. he won three consecutive elections and says he has never been a career politician. reporter: representing a small country on a big stage, he spent years trying to secure new zealand's place in global alliances. he decided to quit just weeks after seeing the -- transpacific partnership deal he helped to build full apart. but it is a test of domestic politics which he says has led to his departure, deciding he had nothing left to go beyond next year's elections. on a familyhink basis and a lot of other reasons i could commit much beyond the next election. i've got no option but to do

promoter of the 2013 event that firefighters were indeed inside the building and they even spoke with derick ion almena, the man renting the warehouse. >> i'm not exactly sure when, but sometime in the middle of the show i think pretty early on the firefighters showed up inside the building walking around at least downstairs. i believe they were upstairs, but i forget. >> video also shows police poking around in the warehouse october this year. the mayor says the city is developing ways for city employees to properly report dangerous living conditions. we reached out to the oakland fire department for comment but have not heard back. >>> tonight musicians are banding together to give back to the arts community in oakland. kpix5's emily turner was there. >> reporter: there have been fundraisers for the victims of the ghost ship fire almost sense the fire itself, but tonight is the biggest one raising a significant sum that will go to the victims' families and also to the community and potentially make changes there. ♪[ music ] ♪ >> reporter: 20 artists, four hours, one very significant cause. >>

. >> derick ion rushed past reporters, then granted an emotional interview with the today show. >> i'm a father. i leave my three children down there every night. profit? this is not profit. this is loss. this is a mass grave. >> reporter: but for the families can you -- >> i'm only here to say one thing, that i am incredibly sorry. >> pressed about whether he should be held accountable, almena became more emotional saying he would rather be trampled by victims' parents. al mean a said when he sign -- almena said when he signed the lease three years ago, he believed the building was up to city of standard. as for the building owner, no sign or statement from the owner who also owns several other buildings in the area. >> our legal analyst tells us the d.a. would have to prove criminal negligence. >> did he have a duty of care to maintain the premises in a safe condition? and was it allowed under law with his contract with the owner to even sublet the warehouse? >> he could get one count for each of the 36 people who died and each count of involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sent

investigators will want to speak with the building's master tenant. [ screaming ] >> reporter: he goes by derick ion. reportly the head of the ghost ship artist collective. a live-work warehouse and the scene of the deadliest fire in oakland's history. >> [ screaming ] >> reporter: in some youtube video his behavior appears erratic. in others, like this one, where he talks about what he calls the festival culture, he offers a rambling description of his desire for a simplistic earth. >> farm and build houses and evolve and oh my god, that's a life. there we go. >> reporter: this video from 2012 depicts an elaborate concert called living dead complete with flames. ion sparked backlash on facebook after this post appeared on his page saturday morning. quote, confirmed. everything i worked so hard for is gone. blessed that my children and micah were at a hotel safe and sound. it's as if i have awoken from a dream to be standing in poverty of self-worth. the post quickly drew thousands of comments chastising him for insensitivity and blaming him for the tragedy. ion and his partner were reportedly warne

we just shot a video of derick ion almena the leaders of the artist collective and he was out here atago. you can see he did not stop to make comments and left with a group of men who surrounded and protected him. he told abc7 on sunday in an exclusive interview the people who died were his children, his friends, his

filed today are against the owners of the building, the party promoters and the master tenant, derick iona. she says they all knew that the warehouse was a death trap. >> they allowed people to live there and to come -- young people to come to an event where there was no fire alarms, no sprinklers, no good

many former ghost ship tenants are describ operator, derick ion almena, as unstable and erratic. evans says: "he's smart. he knows, he's very knowledgeable, he can be very charming, but he does have these little rage rage fits, he gets kinda angry." meanwhile, the mourning process is underway... survivors, victims families, and area residents placing flowers at makeshift memorials... remembering their lost friends and family members. sefa-boakye says: "just a great guy and the bright side to this more validation of how great a guy he was." on cam tag locals say this is not the only converted warehouse in the neighborhood - and they're urging authorities to investigate other potentially unsafe buildings - to make sure this kind of tragedy does not happen again. in oakland, claudia cowan, fox news. in tennessee -- the death toll from massive wildfires rises to 14. authorities say an 81-year-old woman died after she had a medical event driving that caused a multi-car crash. she was tryin that destroyed nearly 17-hundred buildings. officials have also increased the number of injured

. >>> survivors of the oakland warehouse fire meet with controversial building manager derick ion. >>kland speak out. the backlash they are trying to block. >>> plus, a moment in time. the photographer who captured a picture and helped ease someone's sorrow. >>> and the stairwells at san jose state are starting to feel sinister. there have been sexual assaults there and police are searching for a predator. >>> now at 5:00, oakland city council takes action officially approving a local state of emergency. this will pavement way to state and federal help after the warehouse that killed 30 people. let's go to laura anthony live at city hall with new revelations about what happened in the days leading up to the fire. laura? >> reporter: kristen, hi. we'll get to that in a moment. like many cities, oakland was hard hit during the recession. many positions were left unfilled. but now that the funding has returned, despite that, many of those positions, especially in fire prevention, are still vacant. it was a tragedy waiting to happen, say several people who have been inside narrow staircas

derick ion and his wife. >> renting out an rv? >> yes. >> but inside? it was inside the building? >> inside. that's correct. >> then they tell you you need to pay $700 for more repairs. obviously, conditioning were not great. what were conditions like when talking about bathrooms, electricity, heat? >> we had one bathroom, which was in bad repair. so it was to go to fix that bathroom to install another bathroom and to fix up the place so that it was clean and, you know -- habitable. it was really rough, and they sold a dream, yeah, we're all going to get together and do venues, collaborate as artists, and you know, become part of this collective. but after i moved in, not long after i moved in i found out we have to hide other items, not slated as a live-in place and there were up to 20 people there at some times. >> 10, 12, 20 people for one bathroom? right? and you're talking about -- >> yes, yes. >> you're talking about types of heat and sources of electricity as well. right? can you tell us about that, that certainly would not be legal? tell us about it. >> yes. the transforme

going on inside and didn't know about what the pictures show, most of the accountability falls on derick "ion" almena. >> it sounds like he didn't pay attention on how to manage a building. >> police department, in my opinion, should crack down very, very hard. >> reporter: then there are a problems that real estate broker brought to our attention. dozens of warehouses like this one whose owner he represents all over oakland sitting empty. that are broken into and taken over for weekend rave parties, nearly every weekend he says. >> they know how to show no sign to the owner anything's happening. they leave without a trace. >> and if it's not changed? >> it could be another accident and lot worse. >> there are laws out there. >> reporter: tenant's rights attorney says state law governing who is responsible for what is very complicated. made more complicated in san francisco and oakland that hold the building owner are esponsible for an adequate building space. >> an eviction control can make the difficult to evict a tenant even a tenant of an illegal unit but that does not absolve a landlord

derick ion almena leased the willing and rented space to 20 others, and lived there and it was not zoned residential use. >> look at this young boy dangling from the ski lift in utah just terrified. the cell phone video caught the meant by minute effort to pull him to safety. he was stuck on wednesday when the backpack caught on the lit at sundance mountain and he could not get up but that kept him from blunting into the snow. rescuers tried to get him down and the strapped cause serious pain so it was hard to breathe and the ski patrol tried to comfort the boy. >> what i need to you do is take deep breaths. we know your arms are hurting but take deep breaths. >> they hurt so bad. >> they were able to get a ladder to him and got a harness around the child and finally lifted him to safety. >> must have felt like an eternity. all the san francisco city attorney said the police commission is not required to bargain with the union over the use of for policy that was approved on wednesday. the day before the meeting the young filed a lawsuit saying the commission engaged in bad-faith negotiat

derick ion almena leased the building and rented space to 20 other people.was not zoned for residential use. >> we have new developments in a sexual assault investigation involving two east bay high schools. a 15-year old high school student will face charges. concord police arrested him last month after a 15-year old girl at a increase by high school claim she was assaulted after a football game. police released the boy because they said the investigation was "ongoing." yesterday police revealed the 15-year-old is facing sexual assault charges. the father of the boy told our media partner that the incident was "consensual." >> starting today, only one courthouse in all of alameda is open through the rest of the year. the others closed because of budget issues. the courthouse on washington street in oakland is the only courthouse that be opened. there will be staff available for mr. trump matters in addition -- for emergency matters and all courthouses are open tuesday january 3rd. >> now, the accweather forecast with meteorologist mike nicco. all the rain w

derick ion almena has been accused of ignoring safety issues at the ghost ship before the fire killed 36 people. now he hired tony serra and two colleagues. serra has defended lots of high- profile clients including raymond "shrimp boy" chow in a recent racketeering case. >>> san jose's police chief turning to a new tool tonight to try to build up the public's confidence in his department. kpix 5's len ramirez on how the chief is using social media to make a big pr push. >> i'm not going to tell you at this point -- it was good old- fashioned police chief. >> reporter: the san jose police chief is no stranger to the media's microphones. >> hi. i'm eddie garcia. >> reporter: now he is using his own platform to talk about the work his officers do that often goes unnoticed. >> we have a story to tell. the social media really allows to us do that in a way that, you know, that we can put out this great information of what the officers are doing that wouldn't necessarily get out. >> from time to time, i want to tell you about some of the extraordinary cases. >> reporter: last week he starte

. >> also at the ghost ship derick ion almena, the main tenant is under criticism after the fire because of the dangerous conditions. the warehouse now is surrounded by a temporary fence. the building is red tagged the building is red tagged warning it is unsafe. >> cherish all the weirdness. >> green day singer billy joe armstrong took a moment at oracle arena to pay truck out to the artists who lost their lives in the ghost ship fire. this video was shared on instagram. armstrong made a plea for affordable housing dedicating the song "boulevard of broken dreams," to the victims. >> we have developing news from los angeles an officer involved shooting last night. >> jessica is tracking this from the live desk. >> we have the images from the scene. one person is hurt. it happened in south los angeles. police opened fire during what is called gang suppression activity. several people have been arrested and there are still police in the area overnight and right new. we will keep an eye on the situation. reggie and natasha? >> police are looking for a gunman who robbed two people at uc berk

derick ion al-mena.decided to give an interview on national t-v today. >> grant:but what he said. startled some people.and may leave them scratching their heads. >> grant:this interview on n-b-c's "today" show turned a bit awkward as almena refused to answer some questions and it ultimately got cut short. a kron 4 crew was there as almena arrived at the site of the warehouse fire. from this video. everything appears fine. >> grant:but as the interview started and progressed. he became more and more distraught. almena had this to say about the friday night fire. >> grant:"did i remove my children from the space and get a hotel because i wanted to avoid this, because i wanted to cast blame on other people? no, because i wanted to get a good night sleep with my children. i wanted let the young people do what they wanted to do." >> grant:almena went on to say: "i'm only here to say one thing: i'm incredibly sorry and that everything that i did was to make this a stronger and more beautiful community and to b

>> reporter: well, derick ion almena is the man has ran this, the manager, now in the cross hairs of investigation. many people pressing him, wondering why this place seemingly became a death trap, and he is now answering with just raw emotion, brianna. let's listen. >> i would rather get on the floor and be trampled by the parents! i'd rather let them tear my flesh than answer these ridiculous questions! >> mr. almena -- >> i'm so sorry. i'm incredibly sorry. what do you want me to say? i'm not going to answer these questions. >> then we will call this -- >> i just want to say that i am sorry. >> then we'll end the interview there, mr. almena. >> soul accountable, yet to hold my soul accountable for believing in something. >> reporter: the manager of this place they called ghost ship. where was he the night of the fire? they decided to stay in a hotel because of concerns about that, the electronic dance party getting too loud for the children. back to you, brianna. >> all right, paul vercammen, thank you so much for that report. >>> as the recovery operations wind down, the focus is