Inmate gets 20 years in prison for starting jail on fire
An inmate who set fire to the Saguache County jail in southern Colorado has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Pueblo Chieftain reports 42-year-old Dick Lopez was sentenced Tuesday for the May 27 fire that sent two inmates to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and cost the county $100,000 for repairs and to house inmates in other jails. Lopez was convicted in February of arson, criminal mischief and inciting a riot in a detention facility.
Investigators say he started the fire because he felt disrespected and singled out by jail staff, who had removed a poster from his cell.
Jimmy Gollihugh, a former inmate, struck a deal with prosecutors Tuesday for a lesser role in the fire and pleaded guilty to felony mischief. A third suspect has yet to enter a plea.
