Man Who Set Son on Fire in 1983 Charged in Shooting

Charles Rothenberg, who set his son on fire 13 years ago as the boy slept in a Buena Park motel room, was charged Thursday in Oakland with shooting and wounding a man in the head.

Rothenberg, 55, was the most closely guarded parolee in California after he was released from prison in 1990.

He was arrested Tuesday night in connection with the Jan. 12 shooting of a 47-year-old man at an Oakland Travelodge, and was charged with attempted murder and committing a felony with a firearm. Rothenberg has denied involvement in the shooting.

If convicted, Rothenberg would be eligible for sentencing under California’s “three strikes” law, which carries mandatory terms of 25 years to life in prison.

“This guy is certainly a three-striker,” said Alameda County Deputy Dist. Atty. Bob Platte.

Rothenberg pleaded guilty to attempted murder and arson in 1983 for pouring kerosene around the bed of his sleeping 6-year-old son at a Buena Park Travelodge and then setting the bed on fire.

At the time, he said he planned to kill his son, David, and himself because he feared that they would be permanently separated by his former wife. At the last minute, Rothenberg ran from the blazing motel room, leaving his young son to perish. David was rescued but received third-degree burns over 90% of his body. He has undergone a series of reconstructive surgeries over the years.

Buena Park Police Chief Richard Tefank, whose department investigated the 1983 crime, reacted strongly Thursday to news of Rothenberg’s arrest.

“He obviously is an appropriate candidate [for the ‘three strikes’ law],” Tefank said. “It’s unfortunate that his first sentence wasn’t life without the possibility of parole for the heinous crime he committed.”

Oakland police said the victim of the Jan. 12 shooting identified Rothenberg as the gunman. The man, whose name was not released, told police that Rothenberg chased him down a motel hallway and shot him once in the head.

“There was some kind of altercation that occurred in the hallway,” said Oakland Police Lt. Doug Anderson. “We don’t yet know the context of the argument.”

The victim said he knew Rothenberg as a waiter at JJ’s Diner, an Oakland eatery that the man frequented, police said. The victim remains in an Oakland hospital and is expected to recover from the wound.

No motive has been determined for the shooting, detectives said, and they have not recovered the small-caliber pistol that was used.

Police described Rothenberg as “very cooperative” when they arrived at his Oakland apartment Tuesday to arrest him.

“He said he knew the officers were just doing their jobs, and he told them it wasn’t him responsible for the shooting,” Anderson said.

Rothenberg, who has been living under the alias Charles Bocca in Oakland since his release from prison in 1990, recently remarried, police said.

According to a co-worker at JJ’s Diner, Rothenberg’s criminal history was well-known among employees. For the past year and a half, Rothenberg worked as a waiter on the late shift.

Rothenberg had been sentenced to 13 years in prison for the attack on his son, but was freed in 1990 after serving half the term.

The case drew nationwide media attention and became the subject of a television movie in 1988.

Upon his release, Rothenberg was required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and remained under 24-hour watch by a state parole agent. During his parole, he was barred from returning to Orange County or contacting his son, now 18.

Times staff writer Tina Nguyen contributed to this report.