Charges Dismissed in Transient’s Fire Death
A judge dismissed murder and attempted murder charges Tuesday against a Glendale man accused of setting fire to a boarded-up house he owned, killing one transient and injuring a second transient.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Tynan dismissed the case on a motion filed by the district attorney’s office, which said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Frank Paul Piumetti, 53.
He was arrested in August on charges he set fire to a boarded-up house he owns in Glassell Park on Aug. 21. The fire killed Jesus Ortega Sandoval, 18, and injured Miguel Martinez, 22. The two transients had been living at the house for about two weeks before the fire. Prosecutors said Piumetti had planned to tear down the residence and build a multiple-unit structure.
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