Man in Hotel Fire That Killed 25 May Plead Guilty

A onetime factory worker accused of setting the Dorothy Mae Apartment-Hotel fire that killed 25 people in September, 1982, is prepared to plead guilty next Friday to 25 counts of first-degree murder, his attorney said Friday.

Defense attorney Earl Hanson said Humberto de la Torre, 22, would enter his plea in exchange for an agreement by the district attorney’s office not to seek the death penalty or a prison term of life without parole.

Hanson said arrangements for the plea bargain are “fairly solid,” although he cautioned that either side could still change its mind before a pretrial hearing set for April 12 before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David A. Horowitz.

The attorney acknowledged that another plea-bargain arrangement had recently fallen through when De la Torre backed out at the last minute. Hanson added, however, “There is a very strong likelihood that (this agreement) will happen.”

Under the prospective agreement, De la Torre’s sentence--which could fall anywhere short of life without parole--would be left up to the judge, Hanson said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Walt Lewis had no immediate comment.

“The only thing I can confirm is we do have a (court) date next Friday,” he said. “I wouldn’t have any comment with respect to any disposition at this time.”

De la Torre’s trial has been set for May 10. For more than a year, the two sides have been seeking a non-trial solution to the case, Hanson said.

“This is a situation where (the defendant) has never emphatically denied his involvement. He has always been very honest and extremely cooperative,” Hanson said. “It’s not as if he suddenly is going to admit something he has always denied.”

Authorities allege that De la Torre set the tragic fire in the aging Sunset Boulevard apartment-hotel after his uncle, the manager of the 55-year-old building, yelled at him during a family dispute.

Ignited with gasoline, flash flames spread swiftly through the 43-unit building’s hallways and stairwells, incinerating 18 victims on the spot. The others died later of their injuries.

De la Torre was arrested by Mexican authorities in December, 1982, in his home village of El Salitre in the northern Mexican state of Zacatecas at the request of Los Angeles Police Department homicide detectives. He has since been held without bail in Los Angeles County Jail.