Man Sentenced To 50 Years To Life After Killing Two By Arson

STUDIO CITY, CA — A man convicted of setting a fire that killed two people and injured a teenage girl in Studio City in 2018 was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison Wednesday.

Efrem Zimbalist Demery, a 31 year old Los Angeles resident, pleaded no contest to two counts of murder and one count of arson of a structure.

“Although the life sentence in this case does not bring back the victims, it does hold the defendant accountable for his deadly actions,” District Attorney George Gascón said. “My deepest sympathies go out to the families, whose lives were forever altered by this atrocious crime.”

Police said that on April 14, 2018 Demery and the two victims, Devaughn Carter and Michael Pollard, got into an argument at Top Notch Recordings in Studio City. Demery left the building to buy gasoline and a lighter from a nearby gas station, before returning and setting the room on fire while the two victims were sleeping.

Carter and Pollard died in the fire, which took about 30 minutes to extinguish. Two other victims in nearby rooms were also injured. Demery was later arrested in Willowbrook that night after officers stopped him for a traffic violation.

City News Service contributed to this report.