Owner of Illegal Pasadena Boarding House Where Two Died Pleads Guilty

 

The owner of the northwest Pasadena boarding house where two died in an alleged arson fire in 2012 is set to pay thousands of dollars in fines after she pleaded guilty to violating 23 city codes on Monday.

Jeanette Broussard pleaded guilty to 23 counts of city code violations, although she was initially charged with 136 counts, according to the office of City Attorney/City Prosecutor Michele Beal Bagneris.

Broussard is required to pay $2,300 in fines, with an additional $3,931.70 for City abatement costs, penalty assessment and Victim Restitution Fine.

The landowner will also have 36 months summary probation, has been forbidden to use the property at 1385 El Sereno as a boarding house, has been required to submit to inspections of the property by the City at any time without notice during the probation. She is subject to jail if there are violations during the three year probation, the prosecutor’s office said.

“We believe that this is a fair resolution, in the interest of justice and in furtherance of the public safety,” said in a statement by the office of City Attorney Bagneris.

The case was handled by Assistant City Prosecutor Kimery Shelton.

Cliff Juan Clark, 56, and Paul Richard Boyd, 75, died inside the boarding house from smoke inhalation during the fire in 2012.

Garth Allen Robbins, 50, former resident of the house has been charged with arson. He is scheduled for a jury trial for two counts of murder with special circumstance of arson, one count of arson injury and one count of arson of an inhabited structure, and 15 counts of attempted murder for the fire.

Authorities believed that 19 people were residents of the boarding house when the fire occurred, but the city ordinance only allows no more than six people in group homes and prohibits having boarding house in most residential zones.

The children of one of the victims has filed charges against Pasadena, saying the city was previously aware of boarding house’s the code violations and lack of permit prior to the fire but did not close down the establishment.