A San Diego County food truck operator who received more than $100,000 in donations after his truck burned to the ground is now being charged with arson.
Avonte Hartsfield also faces four other felonies in connection to the fire said,
“I'm very much looking forward to going to court," Hartsfield told NBC 7.
We first spoke with Hartsfield last October when his food truck, Rollin Roots, was burned and destroyed.
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At that time, fire investigators could not say how the fire started, but Hartsfield was convinced someone did it on purpose, especially since he said the office where he parked his truck in Kearny Mesa was trashed the week before. He also found what he said was a noose hanging on his office door, and as a Black man, he said he felt targeted
“This is something that's a completely different level,” he said at the time.
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A GoFundMe page raised more than $100,000 from supporters.
Then in March, Hartfield posted on the fundraiser page that he learned the fire was not arson or vandalism, but was caused by an electrical mishap. He offered refunds to donors.
“I corrected the information … some people collected their money back,” he said. “But I’m pretty transparent, so I set the record straight when I need to.”
Hartsfield is being charged with arson and grand theft of personal property for allegedly stealing from GoFundMe donors. He also is charged with three other felonies that include defrauding and presenting a false claim to the company that insured his truck.
On Wednesday he said the insurance company conducted lengthy investigations and paid him more than $34,000. He may wind up having to give back that money, and if convicted of all charges, he faces up to seven years and four months in prison.
Hartfield is due in court Jan. 19.
NBC 7 reached out to San Diego's Metro Arson Strike Team and was referred to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, which said it would not comment on pending criminal cases.
