BISBEE — A juvenile was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for school arson and drug possession.
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Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty in a deal to possessing cocaine for sale during a vehicle stop along State Highway 80 in Tombstone on June 26, 2008.
During the sentencing hearing in Division 3 court on Tuesday, Corona declined to make any statements to Judge Wallace Hoggatt regarding his actions.
Defense attorney Ricardo Bracamonte told the judge to sentence Corona to the stipulated terms of five years in prison for each of the two cases, citing the defendant’s young age and lack of criminal history at the time of the offenses.
Ron Aguallo, superintendent of Valley Union High School District, said the fire created a stressful situation for school staff members as they were getting ready for the academic year.
In the school fire case, Hoggatt sentenced Corona to five years in prison for burglary and 2 1/2 years in prison for arson, with the terms running concurrently. The judge also ordered Corona to pay restitution of $385,000 to the Arizona Schools Risk Retention Trust.
In the drug case, the judge sentenced him to five years in prison and ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine. The sentences for the arson and drug cases will run consecutively.
Hoggatt said he does not take pleasure in sentencing a juvenile to serve 10 years in prison, but he said the terms are appropriate for Corona because of his actions.
The judge said it is outrageous that Corona burned the administrative building simply because the principal would not allow him in the school. He said Corona interfered with the learning experience of students.
Deputy County Attorney Marc Offenhartz prosecuted the arson case, while Deputy County Attorney Roger Contreras prosecuted the drug case
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