

Derick Ion Almena
Derick Ion Almenais the former operator of theGhostShip (Commune)andSatya YugaArt Collective in Oakland, California.[1]He is married to Micah Allison. Derick is a famed artist and photographer who has worked with artists including Beats Antique and Crash Berlin.
In 2015, Child Protective Services sent Almena’s children to live with their grandparents for 6 months. Almena has previously been arrested for unknown charges in Los Angeles and and took a plea deal in a case involving amisdemeanorcharge of accepting stolen property in January 2015 for which he is still on probation.
Controversy
Derick Ion Almena found himself at the center of a firestorm of controversy following the tragic Oakland Warehouse Party Fire on December 3, 2016. The devastating blaze claimed the lives of at least nine people, with authorities fearing the death toll would continue to rise. Amidst the aftermath of the fire, Almena sparked outrage when he took to Facebook to lament his own material losses, drawing widespread condemnation from the public. Many viewed his post as insensitive and callous, given the loss of life and devastation caused by the fire. In the wake of mounting scrutiny, Almena appeared on The Today Show to address the accusations leveled against him. Despite the gravity of the situation, he maintained his innocence, deflecting certain questions and evading accountability. The controversy surrounding Almena and the Ghost Ship tragedy underscores the complex issues of responsibility, accountability, and safety in the realm of artistic spaces and communal living arrangements. The incident shed light on the need for stricter regulations and oversight to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.[1]
As the investigation into the Oakland Warehouse Party Fire unfolded, Almena’s role as the operator of the Ghost Ship came under intense scrutiny, with many questioning his actions and decisions leading up to the deadly inferno. The tragedy served as a sobering reminder of the human cost of negligence and the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals in communal living spaces. As the fallout from the Ghost Ship tragedy continues to reverberate, Derick Ion Almena remains a controversial figure, emblematic of the complex intersections of art, community, and accountability in modern society.