Selfie video earns arsonist 20 years in prison and $60 million fine
If you're going to commit a crime, you probably shouldn't record yourself doing it.
That's the hard, welcome lesson learned by California idiot Wayne Allen Huntsman, who pleaded guilty on Friday to setting off King Fire, a 2014 blaze that chewed up 100,000 acres in northern California. He's looking at 20 years in prison and a $60 million fine for having terrible selfie (and fire) judgmment.
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Huntsman recorded video of himself at the 2014 wild fire's point of origin. He proudly shows off the two small forest fires that he stands between, adding, "I'm stuck in the middle, babe."
The video surfaced thanks to the retired firefighter that happened to be driving by as Huntsman fled from the blaze. The arsonist showed the selfie to his savior, who recorded a copy off of Huntsman's camera screen.
The driver turned the selfie copy over to authorities, and Huntsman was arrested just a few days after the fire -- which lasted for almost a month -- started.
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Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
