US man accused of involuntary manslaughter freed over coronavirus concerns

A man in the United States accused of involuntary manslaughter was released from jail on Monday over coronavirus concerns.

Derick Almena, who's been behind bars since 2017, was facing a second trial after a fire killed 36 partygoers at a San Francisco Bay Area warehouse he's accused of illegally converting into a cluttered artists enclave.

At least 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported at the Santa Rita Jail where Almena was held.

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The 50-year-old is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the December 2, 2016, fire that swept through an electronic music party at the so-called Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland.

He was released after a court hearing by phone. He will be under electronic monitoring while he waits for a new trial.

Prosecutors allege Almena, who was the master tenant on the lease, was criminally negligent when he turned the industrial building into a residence for artists and held events without proper permits.

His co-defendant, Max Harris, was acquitted of the same charges.

Almena was released in the rural community of Upper Lake, where his wife and children live. He is banned from contacting relatives of victims or witnesses.

Jails and prisons in California and across the US have released inmates in response to the pandemic