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Homicide

The Latest: Homeless man charged with 5 murder counts

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    This image from video provided by KCBS-TV/KCAL-TV shows investigators and cadaver dogs searching the ruins of an abandoned two-story office building in the city's Westlake District Tuesday afternoon, June 14, 2016. Authorities said the death toll has risen to several people a day after the fire in the office building near downtown Los Angeles. Authorities believe the fire was intentionally set. (KCBS-TV/KCAL-TV via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

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    A fire department ladder truck lifts a body found in the burned-out ruins of an abandoned office building in the Westlake district, west of downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 14, 2016. Authorities said the death toll has risen to several people a day after the fire in the office building near downtown Los Angeles. Authorities believe the fire was intentionally set. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) (The Associated Press)

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    This Monday, June 13, 2016 image from video provided by KCBS-TV/KCAL-TV shows Los Angeles firefighters battling a blaze in an abandoned two-story office building in the city's Westlake District. Authorities say the death toll has risen to several people a day after the fire in the office building near downtown Los Angeles. (KCBS-TV/KCAL-TV via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

LOS ANGELES – The Latest on a fire in an abandoned Los Angeles office building that killed five homeless people (all times local):

3 p.m.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with five counts of capital murder in the deaths of five homeless people killed in a fire that authorities say was intentionally set.

Johnny Sanchez was charged Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. He's expected to appear in court in the afternoon, when he'll be appointed an attorney.

Prosecutors say they haven't decided whether to seek the death penalty.

The Monday night fire killed three men and two women. Four of the bodies weren't found until Tuesday afternoon because of how unstable the building was.

Two of the victims were identified as 59-year-old Jerry Dean Clemons and 44-year-old Mary Anne Davis. The other three haven't been identified.

Los Angeles Police Capt. Billy Hayes says Sanchez was in a dispute with the others and that he lit the fire with the intent to kill.