Elfrida boy charged with arson rejects plea agreement

By XAVIER ZARAGOZA
The Douglas Dispatch
Published/Last Modified on Friday, November 28, 2008 10:56 PM MST


A 16-year-old Elfrida boy charged with vandalizing and burning a part of Valley Union High School rejected a plea agreement Tuesday that would have sentenced him to 7 years in prison.


The family of Manuel Corona stated that the boy would be better served by hiring a private lawyer.

The boy’s lawyer, legal defender Bruce Houston, will be replaced.

Presiding Superior Court Judge Wallace Hoggat set a Donald hearing for 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 28, in Division 3. In Friday’s Donald hearing, Hoggat will explain the plea agreement to the boy; he will also explain the consequences if the boy rejects the plea agreement and loses his trial, which will mean more prison time than what is established in the plea agreement.

Corona was charged with one count of arson, two counts of burglary of a nonresidential structure and three counts of aggravated criminal damage.

On July 23 at about 1:40 a.m. an Elfrida resident spotted smoke billowing from the high school.

The Elfrida Fire Department and the Sunsites Fire Department responded to the fire.

The administration office at the school was severely damaged. This office contained the superintendent’s, principal’s, counselor’s, and business manager’s offices. The damage was estimated at about $250,000.

While investigating the school for further damage, the deputies also found that the science building had been vandalized. The extent of the damage there was about $30,000.

 

Copyright © 2012 Douglas Dispatch

Comments

    Lets make the boy repay the damage he has caused wrote on Dec 5, 2008 9:10 PM:

    " Lets make the boy repay the damage cost that he has created! This will teach him and any other dump person that you are responsible for your actions! Why should the tax payers pick this up!! "

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