Ghost Ship trial: Man says he heard a fight and glass breaking before fire broke out defense's arson

OAKLAND — A man who lived at the Ghost Ship warehouse testified Monday that he heard the beginning of a fight and glass breaking moments before the deadly blaze began the night of Dec. 2, 2016.

Darold Leite, who lived in a type of wooden home in the side yard of the Ghost Ship warehouse that night, is expected to be last witness before involuntary manslaughter defendant Derick Almena takes the stand.

Leite said he heard the start of a fight and “what sounded like bottles breaking.” Minutes later, he saw a group of seven to eight people leave the warehouse from the side door, but couldn’t describe what they looked like.

His testimony coincides with defense’s arson theory — that the fire was intentionally set, possbily by a group of men, with the use of Molatov cocktails. A cause of the fire that took the lives of 36 people that night was never determined, although fire investigators testified there was not any evidence of arson. They also said arson could not be completely ruled out.

Read more: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/07/08/ghost-ship-trial-mans-testimony-could-help-defenses-arson-theory/