A La Mesa protester has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for possessing Molotov cocktails at a protest in May 2020.
Zachary Alexander Karas, 29, was convicted by a federal jury on May 11, 2021, and immediately taken into custody after the verdict.
The protest began on May 30, 2020, and several fires had been set, damaging buildings and property. At the time, Karas was standing in the middle of the road at the intersection of Allison Avenue and Spring Street, blocking traffic as part of the protest.
Officers gave orders to the crowd, including Karas, to disperse for an unlawful assembly, but Karas and others refused. He was arrested for refusing to leave his position in the middle of the street.
After his arrest, officers discovered that Karas possessed two glass bottles with wicks that contained gasoline and two smoke bombs. In video-recorded statements, Karas stated that he made the Molotov cocktails and brought them to the La Mesa protest because he intended to use them to set fires.
Acting U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said, “This defendant’s conduct endangered the welfare and safety of officers and protesters.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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