The rekindling of the Los Angeles wildfires has sparked a renewed manhunt for an arson suspect who is accused of being an eco-terrorist.

In Los Angeles, amidst the ongoing wildfires, two individuals, including a convicted arsonist, were apprehended in a fake firetruck.

The rekindling of the Los Angeles wildfires has sparked a renewed manhunt for an arson suspect who is accused of being an eco-terrorist.
The rekindling of the Los Angeles wildfires has sparked a renewed manhunt for an arson suspect who is accused of being an eco-terrorist.

The FBI has reignited a longstanding search for a notorious arson suspect who is believed to have run a domestic "eco-terror" group that set off over a dozen fires in the 1990s and early 2000s, just after Los Angeles authorities arrested two fake firefighters from Oregon, one of whom has a history of arson.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department informed Planet Chronicle Digital that Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, were arrested for pretending to be firefighters and driving into a restricted area in a fake firetruck from a fake department.

The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Josephine Sunshine Overaker, a suspected domestic terrorist accused of setting arson fires to spread an animal rights message with a group of fellow radicals. Additionally, she has been accused of posing as a firefighter.

vail ski resort arson fbi youtube
The Vail Ski Resort arson fire in 1998 that authorities say was the work of Josephine Sunshine Overaker and her alleged domestic terror cell known as "The Family." (FBI/YouTube)

On Sunday, 24 years ago, Overaker was indicted for charges such as arson, destruction of an energy facility, and domestic terrorism. Despite her exact age being unknown, it is believed that she was born between October 1971 and November 1974.

She is accused of being involved in extremist groups such as the Earth Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front, and of carrying out attacks linked to these groups in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, and Wyoming from 1996 onwards.

After L.A. authorities arrested the couple, the FBI's Most Wanted account on X reposted a flyer seeking information on Overaker, a longtime fugitive.

Split image showing Overaker's large bird back tattoo and an age-progressed sketch of what she may look like
A split image shows fugitive Josephine Sunshine Overaker's distinctive back tattoo and an age-progressed sketch of what she may look like now. She is the last remaining fugitive suspect in the 1998 firebombing at the Vail Ski Resort that caused millions of dollars in damage, one of the most devastating ecoterrorism attacks in U.S. history. (FBI)

The FBI re-shared the wanted poster for the Nehls on the 24th anniversary of her federal indictment, despite it being unclear if she had any ties to Overaker or the extremist groups she is accused of collaborating with.

According to authorities, Dustin Nehl was found dressed in firefighting gear, carrying radios, and riding with his wife in a decommissioned firetruck that had been purchased at auction. He has a criminal record that includes prior arson charges.

According to authorities, the vehicle displaying the "Roaring River Fire Department" name was actually adorned with CAL-Fire T-shirts, which belong to California's state firefighting agency.

Front of fake fire truck
Deputies arrested Dustin Nehl, 31, and Jennifer Nehl, 44, for impersonating a firefighter and entering an evacuation zone near the Palisades Fire. (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept.)

Dustin Nehl was sentenced to five years in prison for a series of vandalizations that led to an arson attack at a country club and other locations, according to LA Magazine.

The newly constructed Two Elk Lodge in the Vail ski area at Vail, Colorado, built to replace the original building which was allegedly burned down by arsonists last year. Looking from south to north from Colorado Army National Guard helicopter.
The rebuilt Two Elk Lodge in the Vail ski area at Vail, Colorado, in October 1999. It was built to replace the original building, destroyed in an arson attack by an eco-terrorist group known as The Family, which had ties to the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front. (John Epperson/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Overaker is the last remaining suspect out of 17 in the 1998 fire at the Vail Ski Resort in Colorado that has not been captured, according to federal prosecutors. In 2018, Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, a longtime fugitive, was arrested in Cuba for his role in the plot. He pleaded guilty in 2022 and received an 87-month prison sentence.

The destruction of the Two Elk Lodge restaurant, which was later rebuilt, and the disabling of chair lifts and leveling of other buildings, according to authorities, is considered by the FBI to be the largest eco-related arson in history.

The Cavel West Meat Packing Plant in Redmond, Oregon, and a Bureau of Land Management barn in Litchfield, California, were also targeted.

Overaker is accused of leading a domestic terror group called "The Family," which is believed to have caused between $45 million and $80 million in damage through 25 arson attacks. To evade detection, she is alleged to have stolen her bomb-making materials by shoplifting them.

The FBI suspects that Overaker, a Canadian-American citizen, may be posing as a firefighter, midwife, sheep tender, or masseuse due to a large bird tattoo on her back. She has brown hair, brown eyes, stands 5 feet, 3 inches tall, and weighs approximately 130 pounds. Agents have stated that she has facial hair on her upper lip.

Over the years, she has used various aliases such as Lisa Quintana, China, Jo, and Osha, as per the FBI. She is proficient in Spanish and might have moved to Spain.

She faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Planet Chronicle' Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

by Michael Ruiz

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