The release of 73-year-old Edward Wackerman upset many in the community who are still dealing with the fire's devastation.
"It's a slap in the face," Oak Fire victim, Jacob Hawley, said.
Wackerman is accused of starting the Oak Fire in July 2022, burning over 19,000 acres, destroying 127 homes and shattering generations of Mariposa residents.
"A lot of families are still not in their homes yet," Hawley explained. "They still don't have power to these homes that these people lost. Living in trailers on generators."
Jacob Hawley was one of many whose life was forever changed that day, and he feels like he's now reliving the horrors.
"The day of the fire, we lost a home. Your kids call you and ask, 'How's everything going? Have you heard anything about the house?' and you say 'Everything's gone, kids.'"
Wackerman previously pleaded not guilty to several felony charges, including aggravated arson.
"It was so devastating for so many different families to lose their homes and stuff they've had their whole life. Just for this guy to be released on an ankle monitor is very sad and heartbreaking," Mariposa resident Destini Thompson said.
His attorney tells Action News a judge granted his request for release because Wackerman is no longer a threat to the community because he's confined to a wheelchair and the jail cannot provide the care he needs.
Sheriff Jeremy Briese says his office did everything it could to prevent the release.
"We had plans to find other facilities to meet the needs that were presented by the defense," Sheriff Briese explained.
Sheriff Briese says those plans were presented to the lawyers, but ultimately rejected.
"The captain was told by the prosecutor: it isn't up to the sheriff. It's up to the prosecutor, the defense and the judge," the sheriff stated.
The sheriff, alongside many in Mariposa, stand firm against Wackerman's release.
Action News reached out to the Department of Justice, which is handling the case, but did not hear back.
Wackerman will be back in court on January 12.
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