A plea deal was reached, but ultimately rejected last week after the arson suspect claimed that he didn\u2019t start the fire at the Family Dollar Store last May.<\/p>\n
\u201cI plead guilty, but I didn\u2019t commit this crime,\u201d 20-year-old James Alexander told Chief District Court Judge Doug Walker.<\/p>\n
At a plea hearing on Thursday, Jan. 9, Alexander\u2019s attorney, Becky Briggs, said her client wanted to plead guilty and accept responsibility for his actions. Under the plea agreement, Alexander would have been required to pay restitution, undergo a mental health evaluation and have his jail term capped at 45 days.<\/p>\n
Accepting his responsibility wasn\u2019t Alexander\u2019s intention. Reading prepared written remarks in open court, Alexander maintained his innocence on three counts of arson in connection to a May 14th blaze at the Family Dollar Store in Cortez.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prosecution has failed to recognize the truth,\u201d Alexander said, his face turning bright red.<\/p>\n
Walker said it\u2019s not usual for a defendant to enter a plea agreement when afraid of the consequences, but he added that he couldn\u2019t accept the deal.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to hear something different than, I didn\u2019t do it,\u201d Walker said, entering a guilty plea on the suspect\u2019s behalf. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to maintain your innocence, then we\u2019ll move forward with a jury trial.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite advisement from Briggs not to make any additional comments, Alexander continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still willing to plead guilty,\u201d he said, his voice cracking.<\/p>\n
District Attorney Will Furse said he couldn\u2019t in good faith accept Alexander\u2019s guilty plea if he failed to take responsibility for causing the blaze.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe exhausted all investigative techniques that confirm our beliefs that the defendant is guilty,\u201d Furse said.<\/p>\n
A jury trial, expected to last up to seven days, was scheduled for May 5. An April 22 deadline was set for any future plea deal.<\/p>\n
Free on a $25,000 bond, Alexander was charged in September on a lone count of first-degree arson and two counts of fourth-degree arson. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison followed by three years of parole and a maximum $500,000 fine.<\/p>\n
According to a CBI agent, an unknown accelerant was used at four separate points of origin in connection to the May 14th inferno. An employee of the store told police the fire was not accidental, according to court records.<\/p>\n
Alexander reportedly worked as an assistant manager at the Family Dollar store for about a week before the blaze. Reports reveal at least two other fires occurred inside the store after Alexander\u2019s hire.<\/p>\n
Family Dollar is part of the Cortez Plaza shopping center on East Main Street, behind First National Bank. The interior of the building sustained heavy smoke damage, and some structural integrity was lost.<\/p>\n
About 30 local and area firefighters responded to battle the blaze. No injuries were reported.<\/p>\n