Probation Office Failed to Contact Arson Suspect
Darrell Brooks, accused of starting a fire that killed an anti-drug crusading mother and her five children, was on probation at the time of the arson, but officers never made contact with him, an official said.
Besides arson, Brooks, 21, faces six counts of first-degree murder in the blaze that engulfed Angela Dawson’s three-story Baltimore row house.
Law enforcement officials said Friday that an officer assigned to Brooks, who was put on probation in April, never tried to reach him even after Brooks failed to make contact.
Police say Dawson, who had fought to clear drug dealers from her block, may have been targeted for her efforts to rid the neighborhood of crime.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
