A 36-year-old man pleaded guilty to charges for burning a woman’s clothes and setting an apartment on fire in Harrison Township.
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Chaunsay Tinsley was indicted by a grand jury in February and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of arson on Tuesday, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
As reported by News Center 7, the fire happened on Feb. 7 at the 4100 block of Camargo Drive and led to the evacuation of all 24 units in the building. Several units were destroyed.
When firefighters arrived, they found had been extinguished in the apartment but had spread to the attic.
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Further investigation by the Harrison Township fire marshal showed that structural issues with the building’s fireplaces contributed to the fire’s spread.
The Meadows of Catalpa management claimed they informed residents not to use the fireplaces, but there was no evidence that Tinsley received such a warning, the prosecutor’s office said.
>>RELATED: Man accused of starting apartment fire that displaced 2 dozen people formally charged
“After the Harrison Township Fire Marshal submitted his final report on the cause of the fire, charges of aggravated arson were no longer supported by the evidence. A misdemeanor count of arson is the appropriate charge in this matter,” said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jennifer Buschur.
Tinsley’s sentencing is scheduled for September 25.
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