EVERETT — A former Lynnwood man has been sentenced to two years in prison for torching his family’s failing restaurant in 2012.
Daniel Villegas-Loeza couldn’t hold back the tears last week as he tried to explain why he started the fire at Taqueria La Mexicana on Highway 99.
“I never committed a crime before. I’ve been here 20 years. I’m not a bad person,” he said.
His teenage son later told the judge that his father struggled every day to provide for him and his two siblings.
“He’s the strongest man I know,” the teen said. “He’s a great dad. He provides for us the best he can.”
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Joseph Wilson told Villegas-Loeza, 40, that his crime shouldn’t diminish what he’s accomplished in his life. He must be held accountable, however.
“This is a reaction to your actions. A crime was committed and somebody took responsibility and there are consequences,” Wilson said.
Villegas-Loeza and his wife moved to California shortly after the Oct. 7, 2012, fire. Prosecutors charged them a year later with first-degree arson. Villegas-Loeza was arrested in February near Sacramento and extradited back to Washington. He pleaded guilty in July and faced up to 2 years and three months in prison. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the arson charge against his wife and quash the warrant for her arrest.
A surveillance video camera from a neighboring business captured the couple entering the small restaurant for a short time and leaving minutes before flames shot out of the building.
The first call to 911 came around nine minutes after the pair was seen driving away from the restaurant, court papers said. The couple was on the phone with an insurance agent while firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze.
The fire was under control within 20 minutes but the northbound lanes of Highway 99 were shut down for about an hour for fire engines and hoses across the roadway.
The restaurant and an adjoining vacant retail space were heavily damaged.
Investigators concluded that two separate fires were set at both ends of the building, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Chris Dickinson wrote in court papers.
“I understand desperation, but you threatened lives, not just yours and your wife’s, but the first responders and anyone on the road,” Wilson said.
Investigators learned that the couple was in financial trouble. They owed back rent on the restaurant and on their home. They also were late on their utilities bills.
After the fire, the couple filed an insurance claim estimating the damage to the restaurant at $120,000. They later refused to cooperate with their insurance agent and withdrew the claim.
Villegas-Loeza likely will be on the hook for the damage to the building. No dollar amount had been established as of last week’s hearing.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
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