Anime conventions are no stranger to unexpected events, but early Sunday morning at approximately 1:30 AM, attendees of Anime Los Angeles, along with other guests at the Folk Inn Hotel in Ontario, CA, were startled awake by what was initially believed to be an active shooter situation.

However, it was later confirmed that the disturbance was not due to an active shooter but rather a deliberate act of arson, destroying seven vehicles.

Both the Folk Inn Hotel and its neighboring Azure Hotel & Suites were evacuated. According to eyewitness Nora Moto, who was staying at the Azure Hotel, hotel staff and residents knocked on doors, urging people to evacuate immediately. “People were panicking because they thought it was an active shooter,” Moto told The Kitsune Network. “The fire burst the tires, and people thought someone was shooting up the place.”

The false reports of an active shooter caused further panic, leading guests in the Azure Hotel lobby to flee into the streets. Some rushed toward the nearby Gateway Hotel, adjacent to the Ontario Convention Center, in an effort to escape what they believed was a life-threatening situation.

Suspect Arrested in Connection with the Fire

After the fire was extinguished, law enforcement detained a person of interest. According to a police officer at the scene, a witness saw an individual pouring gasoline on a vehicle before setting it on fire. The flames quickly spread to adjacent cars. The suspect then fled the scene in an unidentified vehicle, but not before a witness recorded the license plate number.

According to ABC 7 news:

“surveillance video[…]showed a man walk up to the main vehicle, pour two cans of gasoline all over it and then he flicked a match on it. The manager said the match didn’t start the fire, so the man in the video then pulled out his lighter to set the vehicle ablaze.”

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Matt Masumi Toyotome, an Anime Los Angeles attendee, was later arrested at his Riverside home without incident. He is currently being held at the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of arson, with bail set at $250,000.

Motive: A Years-Long Obsession

Sources indicate that Toyotome deliberately targeted a 2015 Subaru Outback belonging to fellow convention attendee Julia Moreno Jenkins, with whom he had been obsessed for years.

A friend of the victim, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that Toyotome had been harassing Jenkins for over three years. The two initially met while collaborating on a fan-made YouTube series called Armored Rangers, a project created by a group of Power Rangers fans.

During the production, Toyotome became infatuated with Jenkins, despite the fact that she had been in a long-term relationship since 2013. After the series ended, the group went their separate ways, but Jenkins remained active in the YouTube community and gained notable recognition within the Power Rangers fandom.

Escalating Harassment and a Disturbing Attack

Over time, Toyotome’s obsession escalated into jealousy and harassment. He allegedly repeatedly visited Jenkins’ home uninvited, left unsolicited gifts, and followed her at conventions.

While the specific trigger for the arson remains unclear, speculation suggests that Toyotome’s advances were firmly rejected by Jenkins during Anime Los Angeles 2019, potentially leading to the attack.

Other Victims of the Fire

Jenkins was not the only victim of this incident. Several of the destroyed vehicles belonged to other Anime Los Angeles attendees, including Sabrina Snowdon, whose 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport was completely burned.

VIDEO FOOTAGE:

“I only had liability insurance, so my insurance will not cover me and I got it for $27,000. It was a really good working 2015 Subaru Outback. [. . .]I appreciate everyone who has helped be here for me during this ordeal, and thank you all for encouraging me to go through with starting a go fund me. I can’t say thank you enough for the cosplay community being so supportive and helpful to me in just every way.”

– Julia Jenkins via Go-FundMe

This shocking event serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked obsession and harassment within fan communities.

Photos from the night after the fire