Hollywood Arson Suspect Pleads Not Guilty
Harry Burkhart was arraigned for a series of arson attacks over New Year's weekend
KNBC-TV
Prosecutors increase the number of charges against arson suspect Harry Burkhart. He could go to prison for 80 years if convicted on all counts.
The 24-year-old man charged earlier this month in a series of New Year's weekend arson attacks in the Hollywood and San Fernando Valley areas pleaded not guilty to 100 counts of arson Tuesday.
Harry Burkhart, a German national, was arrested after four nights of arson attacks that fit the same profile -- vehicle fires that spread to carports and other structures. Burkhart was intially charged with 37 counts of arson in the attacks, which caused an estimated $3 million in property damage.
Investigators suspect that more than 50 fires are connected to Burkhart, according to authorities.
Prosecutors filed additional arson-related charges Tuesday, bringing the total to 100 counts, according to the district attorney's office.
Tuesday's arraignment was Burkhart's second court appearance since his arrest Jan. 2 in Hollywood. At a Jan. 4 appearance, Burkhart frequently tilted his head back and mumbled to himself during proceedings.
A fraud case involving his mother led to Burkhart's arrest, investigators said. Dorothee Burkhart faces 19 counts of fraud, including accusations that she failed to pay a Frankfurt clinic for breast-augmentation surgery and bilked renters out of security deposits.
Criminal Complaint: Dorothee Burkhart Fraud Case
The fraud case investigators identified a man seen in surveillance video released in connection with the arson investigation as Harry Burkhart. An officer who witnessed a court outburst by Harry Burkhart during a hearing in his mother's case reportedly recognized Burkhart in the surveillance video.
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