Biography
Micah Tillmon is a West Hills, California man who was 19 years old when he was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for setting fire to the Sake House by Hikari restaurant in downtown Santa Monica during BLM protests on May 31, 2020. Tillmon entered the restaurant after hours, without authorization, removed a tube-shaped incendiary device from his jacket, placed it behind the reception desk, and ignited a fire that spread throughout the building, forcing Santa Monica firefighters to repeatedly retreat for safety. The restaurant was permanently closed as a result. He was identified through security footage and social media, including his vehicle leaving the scene minutes after the fire began.
Pacific Citizen reports that Tillmon pleaded guilty on September 2, 2021 to possession of an unregistered destructive device. The report attributes the restaurant-fire account to the plea agreement. This refines the existing month-only plea description; it is not a sentencing or jail-admission date.
