Credit: McCrabb, Richard
Credit: McCrabb, Richard
Stevens started a fire at 1716 Manchester Ave. on Aug. 21, 2022. Two neighboring houses were also damaged. She was arrested by Middletown police days after the fire. She has been held in the county jail in lieu of $150,000 cash bond.
In January, Stevens entered guilty pleas in Butler County Common Pleas Court to three arson charges that were reduced to third-degree felonies. In exchange for the plea, the remaining three charges were dismissed.
On Monday, Judge Michael Oster Jr. sentenced Stevens to four and a half years in prison — 18 months on each charge. She will also be required to register her address with the county sheriff’s office once a year for life when released from prison because she was convicted of an arson-related offense.
Middletown police and fire were dispatched at 11:30 p.m. on the night of the incident on reports of a working structure fire. Upon arrival at the scene, fire personnel confirmed the fire with heavy smoke exiting the house.
Multiple Middletown fire apparatuses arrived to battle the fire with mutual aid provided by Monroe Fire Department. Middletown Paramedics and EMTs were also on the scene to assist the occupants and fire personnel.
No injuries to the occupants and firefighters were reported.
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