office is charging derrick almena with >> he knew the risks. >> reporter: and his associate is charged and he's been in the underground scene a while and even underground party promoters have an unwritten rule. >> the number one rule of throwing an underground is safety first. >> reporter: it's a rule he says was not followed at the warehouse. >> that was the worst example of warehouse living for artists, really bad example. >> reporter: he says the believes the building's owner should also face charges. >> they have what, 20 trailers parked in the basement, to have daisy chain electricity all throughout the building, to have all the electricity wires in one room, you know, fire hazards, he had to know this, you know, he had to know this. >> reporter: while nothing can replace his friends, he says he's even more inspired by them now to continue making music and taking pictures in their honor, melanie woodrow, abc7 news. >> abc7 news was in the lake county courthouse today and captured this exclusive video of derrick almena as he faced manslaughter charges. we will have exclusive detail

derrick almena and max harris are in custody facing manslaughter charges. ((steve))kron4's alecia reid has reaction from a former tenant of the warehouse...(pkg) derek almena was booked into the santa clara jail at 7'o clock this evening...after making a brief court apperance in lake county.the former tenant i spoke with has no sympathy for the two men that were arrested . pkgoh hell no. hell no. hell noooo. i remember they were doing a little gypsy dance when i was leaving and telling them they were gonna pay, so i'm glad this is derek almena's booking photo from this evening. the alameda county district attorney says he and max harris are to blame for the 36 lives that were lost in the ghost ship fire back in december. i'm not surprised. i'm surprised they haven't been arrested more often for more thingsalmena was arrested earlier today in lake county harris in la. both men have been charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter and could face up to 39 years in prison if convicted of all the charges being brought against them.they're animals, they're

now police have arrested derrick almena and max harris... both men are charged with multiple counts of involuntary manslaughter.(steve) prosecutors say almena rented out space in the illegally converted warehouse and "knowingly created a firetrap." harris is accused of organizing the dance party of the night of the fire.(vicki) tonight we have reaction from family members who lost loved ones.. first -- kron4's alecia reid is live with more on the criminal case. derek almena was booked into the santa clara jail at 7'o clock this evening...after making a brief court apperance in lake county.the former tenant i spoke with has no sympathy for the two men that were arrested . pkgoh hell no. hell no. hell noooo. i remember they were doing a little gypsy dance when i was leaving and telling them they were gonna pay, so i'm glad this is derek almena's booking photo from this evening. the alameda county district attorney says he and max harris are to blame for the 36 lives that were lost in the ghost ship fire back in december. i'm not surprised. i'm

max hair sis a good man. >> derrick almena wife says she is overcome with grief and deeply troubled by the arrest of her husband. the ghost ship leaseholder and their friend ghost ship creative director max harris. >> they're not goofy. they're not selfish or reckless. >> the district attorney has chosen to focus on the weakest and most vulnerable members in this situation. >> almena attorney say almena and harris are not criminally responsible. though the d. a. claims the two created a death trap by filling the warehouse with flammable materials, building an unsafe staircase and allowing people to live and gather in dangerous conditions. almena team says the fire department, the county, the building owner on pg&e are really to blame. >> and this is a phoney charge to protect the real parties who are afraid to get sued. >> we would never have lived in a place we thought was unsafe. >> almena wife pointed out she and her children also lived in the warehouse and had no idea anyone was in harm's way. >> i just hope that everyone can start to have a little bit of compassion for everyone in

derrick almena and max harris are in custody this morning facing manslaughter charges. kron four's alecia reid has reaction from a former tenant of the warehouse. derek almena was booked into the santa clara jail at 7'o clock this evening...after making a brief court apperance in lake county.the former tenant i spoke with has no sympathy for the two men that were arrested . pkgoh hell no. hell no. hell noooo. i remember they were doing a little gypsy dance when i was leaving and telling them they were gonna pay, so i'm glad this is derek almena's booking photo from this evening. the alameda county district attorney says he and max harris are to blame for the 36 lives that were lost in the ghost ship fire back in december. i'm not surprised. i'm surprised they haven't been arrested more often for more thingsalmena was arrested earlier today in lake county harris in la. both men have been charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter and could face up to 39 years in prison if convicted of all the charges being brought against them.they're animals, they're evil. they'

. >> reporter: announcing criminal charges against derrick almena and his associate, harris that killed with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. >> reporter: almena arrested in a lake county. his attorney saying we believe these charges represent no less than a miscarriage of justice and we are confident that this attempt to make a scapegoat out of our client will fail. the criminal complaint alleges they created a fire trap at the ghost ship packing it with flammable materials, we requiring the electrical system and deliberately blocking one of two exits during a concert the night of the fire. oakland mayor libby schaaf released this statement. i applaud the charges filed today by district attorney nancy o'malley because they make a message you won't make a profit by

derrick almena wrote the story of my criminal worthless neness killing me no matter how sorry i am. the lies and hate keep stabbing my eyes out. it's madness and i must endure. almena also asked for help paying his bills saying none of the money raised for the victims and their families has reached him, his wife or their three children. i'm posting their entire message at abc7news.com. >>> more to come. a tribute to the fire victims remains outside the burned warehouse on 31st avenue just off international boulevard. the tragedy focused attention on people living under the radar and the lack of inspections for housing violations. the city is working to change that. >> a whole new data system that allows us to have a single platform where different city departments can see information from one another and really understand what is going on in a building. >> oakland is hiring more fire marshals and has requested a fema grant to help report code violations to building inspe inspecto inspectors. the ghost ship fire claimed 36 lives. we have stories about each and every person on our webs

derrick almena wrote the story of my criminal worthless neness killing me no matter how sorry i am. the lies and hate keep stabbing my eyes out. it's madness and i must endure. almena also asked for help paying his bills saying none of the money raised for the victims and their families has reached him, his wife or their three children. i'm posting their entire message at abc7news.com. >>> more to come. a tribute to the fire victims remains outside the burned warehouse on 31st avenue just off international boulevard. the tragedy focused attention on people living under the radar and the lack of inspections for housing violations. the city is working to change that. >> a whole new data system that allows us to have a single platform where different city departments can see information from one another and really understand what is going on in a building. >> oakland is hiring more fire marshals and has requested a fema grant to help report code violations to building inspe inspecto inspectors. the ghost ship fire claimed 36 lives. we have stories about each and every person on our webs

he and ghost ship founder derrick almena face 36 counts of voluntary manslaughter. the order was delayed to link updates with harris. they are both scheduled to be back in court next thursday. >> the most riveting drama is not coming out of hollywood, but d.c. fired fbi director james comey testified before the senate intelligence committee this morning. he sheds new light on the russia investigation and describes how president trump urged him to stop looking into former national security advisor michael flynn. former fbi director james comey claims president trump was not honest with him when he was dismissed. >> i was also confusd by the initial explanation that was offered publicly, that i was fired because of the decisions i had made during the election year. those were lies, plain and simple. >> comey says he believed the president had ordered him to end the michael flynn investigation. >> the president of the united states with me alone, saying i hope this, i took it as this is what he wants me to do. a >> you may have taken it as a direction, but that's not w

bono and at least for now they have no plans to make a motion to separate him from co-defendant derrick almena. his family and friends want them to see these pictures of him. >> there is not a greedy bone in his body. >> when i visited with alex, among the first things he said, i'm sorry if you have to miss work for this. >> reporter: harris along with co-defendant face 36 kounlts of involuntary manslaughter for the 36 lives lost in the ghost ship warehouse fire. >> somebody who loved people as much as max harris clearly loves people, as much as somebody who loved creating art, as much as max harris loved creating art, would never put people in art in a position where they could be destroyed or harmed. >> reporter: harris wrote this statement. >> i am heartbroken to be both someone who witnessed the horrible event and who lost loved ones, but who now is on trial for something that i never would have imagined possible. >> reporter: earlier today harris and almena were in court. their plea hearing moved to july. outside the courtroom, attorneys for each promised his client would be vindicated. >

says she got a call from the d-a's office this morning, letting them know about the arrest of derrick almena and max harris. after she got off the phone she went to the cemetary i just wanted to be with my son six months after the deadly blaze, she says she was hit with many emotions about criminal charges being filed today.banger sadness...i dont' want to be angry it's not going to bring him back. i think what it mostly is sadness.i want to see justice done.i want someone to say i'm sorryit's not going to happen but i want someone to say i'm sorry mrs vega that you lost your son.mary vega has not been visit the the warehouse where her son and his girlfriend lost their lives....nor has she visited the memorials in oakland honoring the victims. saying it's just too much for her right now. but she says if there is a trial, she wants to be in the courtroom to see for herself....someone being held accountable for the deaths of alex,michaela and so many others.maureen kelly kron4 news. (grant) and we first told you about today's arrests... through a push alert we sent out around 10 this morning.

s office is charging derrick almena with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. >> he deserves it. he knew the risks of what would happen. >> max harris is also facing charges. >> the number one rule of throwing an underground is just safety first. that's always safety first. >> it's a rule he says was not followed at the ghost ship warehouse. >> that was the worst example of, like, warehouse living for artists. really bad example. >> he believes the building's owner should also face charges. >> to have, what, 20 trailers parked in the basement. to have daisy chained electricity throughout the building. to have, all the electricity wires in one room, you know. mondo fire hazard. he had to know this. he had to know this. >> the d.a. would not comment on possible charges, including against the owner. melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >> as the story develops, you can learn the latest as it happens by downloading the abc 7 news app and enabling push alerts. >>> our other top story, the sentencing of the man who killed sierra lamar. >> the 15-year-old disappeared walking to a bus stop in mo

s office is charging derrick almena with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. >> he deserves it. he knew the risks of what would happen. >> max harris is also facing charges. >> the number one rule of throwing an underground is just safety first. that's always safety first. >> it's a rule he says was not followed at the ghost ship warehouse. >> that was the worst example of, like, warehouse living for artists. really bad example. >> he believes the building's owner should also face charges. >> to have, what, 20 trailers parked in the basement. to have daisy chained electricity throughout the building. to have, all the electricity wires in one room, you know. mondo fire hazard. he had to know this. he had to know this. >> the d.a. would not comment on possible charges, including against the owner. melanie woodrow, abc 7 news. >> as the story develops, you can learn the latest as it happens by downloading the abc 7 news app and enabling push alerts. >>> our other top story, the sentencing of the man who killed sierra lamar. >> the 15-year-old disappeared walking to a bus stop in mo

charges against derrick almena and his associate, harris that killed 36 people. >> they are both charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. >> reporter: almena arrested in a lake county. his attorney saying we believe these charges represent no less than a miscarriage of justice and we are confident that this attempt to make a scapegoat out of our client will fail. the criminal complaint alleges they created a fire trap at the ghost ship packing it with flammable materials, we requiring the electrical system and deliberately blocking one of two exits during a concert the night of the fire. oakland mayor libby schaaf released this statement. i applaud the charges filed today by district attorney nancy o'malley because they make a message you won't make a profit by cramming people into dangerous spaces by failing to maintain safe living conditions. >> it's an important day for the families of those killed. >> reporter: attorney mary alexander represents 11 of those who lost loved ones in the ghost ships. >> the families are seeking justice and very pleased there have been criminal

. >> derrick almena and max harris are facing criminal charges for the death of 36 people in the deadly ghost ship warehouse fire. almena was the so-called manager of the ghost ship, and arrested this morning in lake county. he was the person in charge of basically renting out that live/work spaces to the artist in the warehouse. max harris also one of the tenants of the warehouse according to the interview that he did months ago with the east bay times. the east bay times a share this photo with this, and he was the "second-in-command to almena" and the doorman greeting people as they went into the warehouse the night of the fire and was arrested this morning and los angeles. the warehouse fire was never zoned for residential use and the people that live there reported the building and numerous fire hazards, and blocking the exits and stairways with dozens of extension cords with exposed electrical wires snaking through the building. 30 speak -- 36 people died at the fire and there was a party being held in the top floor. the victims were overcome by smoke and unable to escape the flam

yesterday derrick almena and matt harris were charged with involuntary manslaughter. 36 people died at a dance party there in december. court documents say they knowingly created a fire trap without a way to escape that building. >>> we do have more details on the apparent case of workplace violence in orlando florida that left five people dead. john newman jr., a recently fired w kill his former colleagues. he said newman singled out five people shooting them all in the head before killing himself. a man he says he knew the gunman said he never saw it coming. >> what he did, you know, i'm shocked. i'm really shocked to hear that that came out of him, you know? but it just shows you how people are hurting inside so bad nobody knows. >> newman had a negative relationship with one of his former co-workers. he wouldn't say why newman was fired. >>> time right now, 5:16. in news for your health, a contagious disease is going around some parts of the country. it's called shigella. the severe gastrointestinal illness makes you fear you have a stomach bug. but sometimes antibiotics are needed

if convicted, harris and the warehouse's master tenant a, derrick almena, face prison time up of to 39 years. >>> the 32-acre regional park in south san jose was the scene of reports of a person down in the water. >>> officials are asking the public to keep an eye out for a man who was kayaking and hasn't been seen. his family and friends have met a $10,000 goal on go fund me. >>> new information about a man accused of firing shots at a statue outside a church. ktvu crime reporter henry lee joins us now. >> reporter: julie, so far the suspect has not been charged with the shooting but i have learned the man is well-known to police. ktvu has learned that 34-year- old erik goal mullen was -- erik john mullen was arrested for allegedly firing shots outside a church. the diocese says it is keeping the statue as is pending the criminal investigation. a motive is not known. neighbors of the suspect say they're stunned. they say mullen has children and enjoys rebuilding cars. >> i don't believe that. he's a nice kid. i don't know -- he's a grown man. i don't know why he would do such a thing.

if convicted harris and the warehouse master tenant, derrick almena, face sentences of up to 39 years >>> it's been one year since an isis inspired terrorist shot and killed 49 people at the pulse nightclub in orlando. celebrations are taking place of the victims' lives across the country. >> reporter: one by one the names were read aloud. 49 victims' names being remembered. >> thank god we have a resilient community. >> reporter: the services started at 2:02 a.m., the exact time the gunman started shooting. florida governor rick scott declaring monday pulse remembrance day throughout the entire state with hundreds of people gathering for a special memorial service at the nightclub to remember the victims and give thanks to the first responders. >> it breaks my heart that your sanctuary was taken from you, but i know we are resilient, and i know we will not let hate win. >> reporter: the pulse shooting also mentioned frequently at pride events across the country. it was the deadliest mass shooting in mad dearn american history. some officials joined demonstrators in calling for action

now he and derrick almena, the master tenant, are charged with involuntary manslaughter of 36 people. >>> good morning and thanks for joining us for our midday newscast. i'm vicky nguyen. >> and i'm scott mcgrew. sam and kris have the day off. it's been more than six months since the ghost ship warehouse went up in flames and now the blame is being squarely placed on the tennants. max harris, did he have anything to say during his arraignment? >> reporter: well, they were very upset and said they did not want to speak to the media. several of them sat outside together and embraced each other. inside the courtroom, cameras were not allowed, but max harris appeared behind the glass, and now he has long blue hair. his attorney asked to schedule a plea date which is now set for june 15th. harris and almena both face involuntary manslaughter for 36 people who died at a fire in a music event in the warehouse last december. the cause of the fire is still undetermined, but the district attorney said both harris and almena are responsible for creating the living space that created a high-risk

as you mentioned, derrick almena, the master tenant is behind bars here at the santa rita jail here innd max harris, his sidekick of sorts, is also charged and brought up at some point this week. we're going to show you the new mugshot from authorities of almena. both men are facing charges, according to the alameda county d.a., criminal charges in connection to the ghost ship warehouse fire. after an exhaustive six-month investigation, the d.a. announcing yesterday both men will face criminal charges in connection to the fire, which include 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter for the 36 people that died in december during a party at that building when the warehouse went up in flames. also, the d.a. added that the two men knowingly created a fire trap with an inadequate space to eskwap this fire. if convicted, they could face up to 39s in state prison. we did get a chance to speak by phone to season slocum, the mother of one of the victims inside thehouse, and she hopes justice will be served. >> you feel like you're in a state of limbo waiting to hear something. it feels better to k

. >> derrick almena's attorneys say they were shocked when he was charged. >> the government has gotten it wrong once again. >> the district attorney has made him a scapegoat, in part, they say, for her own political aspirations. >> the prosecution is really brought for the private benefit for the district attorney and as a shield and a sword for the sheriffs, for the pg&e, for the building inspectors who are the real culpable parties. >> in e-mail statements, the spokesperson for the district attorney's office writes, our ethical duty of prosecutors is to analyze the facts and apply the law to those facts. filing criminal charges only when there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime. while a spokesperson for pg&e writes, we've seen no evidence to date that would lead us to believe that our facilities were the cause of the fire. almena and harris are scheduled to be in court next week. almena's attorneys say his plea will be not guilty. in san francisco, melanie woodrow, abc7 news. >> new at 4:00, a woman accused of abandoning a child she tossed out o

. >> yeah, good morning to you, kris, and both derrick almena and max harris appeared here in oakland where the judge granted the request of their lawyers to push the plea hearings to july. max harris right there on the right of the screen, and his lawyer claims his client is innocent. it's claimed that harris is the one who blocked off the second floor stairwell of the warehouse during preparations for the party that took place in the building that night back in december. as a result prosecutors argue that the party-goers had to use a set of makeshift stairs in order to escape the fire which resulted in the deaths of 36 people. now i spoke to harris' lawyer, and he said he's shifting the blame to the landlord who he called a slumlord that fled to china when all this took place. the laurene going as far as saying his client wasn't aware of the deficiencies inside of the ghost ship warehouse. here's what he had to say. >> mr. harris was a tenant. mr. harris was looking for low-income housing. he was an artist and he was struggling to make ends meet. he was part of the community of arti

>>>happening today the wife of derrick almena one of the men charging the deadly ghost ship warehouse fire will speak to the media. he was charged yesterday in oakland on 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. henry lee says he did not say anything and did not appear to acknowledge relatives of ghost ship victims who attended the hearing. the defense attorney said he should not be prosecuted. >> despite strong emotions we do not feel the public good will be served by prosecuting our client it creates a distraction so the local government does not have to address the fundamental issues.>> almena did not enter a plea. attorneys were asked to delay the hearing until next week.  you can watch the news conference with the defense team right here. it begins a dismay at 11:30 am.>>> this is the new booking photo of the other defendant that has been booked in the jail in dublin. he was arrested on monday. he also faces 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter.>>> bar is looking at a new strategy to target seahawks. here's a look at how bart is hoping to persuade passengers.>> the directors met

former ghost ship tenant and manager derrick almena is scheduled to be arraigned thursday after his arrest county and transferred him to santa rita jail in pleasonton. authorities arrested a former tenant max harris. prosecutors say the pair knowingly created a fire trap. both men have been charged with 36 counts of manslaughter for each death in last year's fire. if convicted each could face up to 39 years in prison. burj check that morning commute with mike. how is it looking? >> for a tuesday that's the qualifier things are looking pretty good. we have a slower track and a pretty typical pattern. this tuesday is the start of the summer months for a lot of schools, they got off from break last week. the week before. a lot of universities are off now. the next couple weeks lighter tra#fic flow. we're working towards west 80, crash has cleared some lanes, slowing down towards richmond and a break, more slowing down towards berkeley and the bay bridge toll plaza still has the metering lights on. no major issues, though. we're looking at oakland, live look past the coliseum shows you traffic

derrick almena and max harris face 36 separate manslaughter charges, one for each person who died ine are flooding. you might want to steer clear of that area. people are being told to avoid the area so crews can get things under control. we don't know yet whether this is affecting water supply to homes and businesses in the area, but we have a crew trying to get details and we'll bring them to you on air and give them to you on-line as we get new information. >>> more local news coming up in a half hour. ♪ ♪ (vo) you can pass down a subaru forester. (dad) she's all yours. (vo) but you get to keep the memories. love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. >>> this morning on "today's take," shania twain, our co-host and kicking off our weekend with a performance on the plaza. and the only thing better than friday, is a freebie friday. and our "today" dads and the biggest father's day right now. >> from nbc news, this is "today's take." live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. >> the aforementioned freebie friday, june 16th, 2017. you're listening to "feeling like a woman" by shania twa

last week prosecutors charged both derrick almena, the manager, and a tenant who lived in the building away. there are four counts of manslaughter, one for each of the people who died there. >>> on a much lighter note, it comes down to this for the warriors and cavaliers fans. it's the second championship in three years. the warriors must conquer the cleveland cavaliers who came out strong. they're back against the wall in game 4. they said winning on the home court would be sweet. remember, they won it two years ago but on the road in cleveland. last year after leading the final three games to one, which is where we are right now, cleveland came back to win the crown. >>> we'll take a look at weather and traffic coming up after the break. >>> good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're seeing more clouds move into san francisco. looking live now at the golden gate bridge, some peeks of sunshine there. we'll see the clouds dipping in and out as we go through the day and temperatures reaching into the low 60s with gusty winds, then our temperatures will warm up. as we go thr

ghost ship warehouse fire in oakland, and today the main tenant of the building, derrick almeida made his first -- derick almena making his first court appearance it's here. >> reporter: he made no show of emotion as he made his appearance in the courtroom, and families of the ghost ship victims were in the gallery. cameras were not allowed in court as derick almena appeared before the judge, dressed in a jumpsuit and did not make eye contact with anyone in the audience including the relatives of the ghost ship victims who did not want to address the media. derick almena did not enter his plea to 36 counts of manslaughter, one count for each victim that died. they asked the judge to delay the case for week to allow max harris to be booked into the alameda county after his transfer later today. he is facing the same 36 felony counts. outside of the courtroom one of his three defense attorneys said that the client should not be prosecuted. >> despite the strong emotions we do not feel like public good will be served by prosecuting our client. it is creating a distraction so that the local government does not have