A Highland man was arrested on April 8 in connection with an arson fire at a large warehouse in Ontario. Chamel Abdulkarim, age 29, was taken into custody early Tuesday after being reported missing from the Kimberly-Clark facility near Merrill and Hellman avenues.
Authorities said Abdulkarim worked for NFI Industries, a third-party distribution company that operates the Ontario facility. He was not employed by Kimberly-Clark itself, according to a statement released by the multinational company based in Irving, Texas.
Fire crews from the Ontario Fire Department responded to reports of smoke and flames at the warehouse around 12:30 a.m. on April 7. Heavy smoke was seen coming from the roof of the building, which spans about 1.2 million square feet.
No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze. The investigation is ongoing.
