4 teens accused of Lacey arsons have pleaded guilty; 1 remains
CHELSEA KROTZER
Four of five teenage boys accused of setting fire to four homes in a new Lacey housing development this spring pleaded guilty in Thurston County Juvenile Court.
All the homes were under construction. Three of the fires were set March 31 in the 4000 block of 20th Avenue Northwest and spread to a fourth home. The fourth fire was set April 3 in the same development. Damage was estimated to be more than $400,000.
Two 13-year-olds, two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old were arrested in April.
One of the 13-year-old boys pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree arson and one count of second-degree burglary Wednesday in Juvenile Court. He had no prior criminal history.
The boy originally was accused of both charges, as well as one count of first-degree malicious mischief.
The standard sentencing range for first-degree arson is one year, 51 weeks and two years, 25 weeks in juvenile detention, according to Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Megan Winder. The boy’s sentencing is set for July 18.
The second 13-year-old, accused of three counts of second-degree arson and three counts of second-degree burglary, has a pretrial hearing set for July 23.
The two 16-year-olds each were accused of five counts of second-degree arson, four counts of second-degree burglary and one count of first-degree malicious mischief.
Both pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree arson and two counts of residential burglary in June, Winder said.
One was sentenced to serve between four years, 28 weeks and six years, 18 weeks in juvenile detention. The other, with a “significantly lower” criminal history, will serve between one year, 51 weeks and two years, 25 weeks in juvenile detention for the arson charges and already has served 41 days for the burglary charges.
The 17-year-old was accused of two-counts of second-degree burglary and one count each of first-degree and second-degree malicious mischief.
He pleaded guilty in June to one count each of residential burglary, first-degree malicious mischief and second-degree malicious mischief. He was sentenced to 55 days in custody with 36 days’ credit for time served.
Winder said the teen also will serve 32 hours of community service and be on six months’ community supervision.
“To my understanding through the investigation, he was not part of the arson,” Winder said.
ckrotzer@theolympian.com
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