An Edmonds man was convicted Wednesday of second-degree arson for setting fire to a vacant house on Aug. 19.
Kenneth William Sloan, 20, was convicted by a jury of torching a house in the 8200 block of 234th Street SW. He faces up to a year in jail when he is sentenced Tuesday by Snohomish County Superior Court Judge James Allendoerfer.
Witnesses reported seeing a man leave the building just before smoke became visible. A fire officer and witnesses followed the man, who drove into the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex, deputy prosecutor Jim Townsend said.
Sloan originally was charged with two arson counts, but Townsend dismissed the second count because of lack of evidence. The second fire was set just a few blocks away in a second vacant house around the same time.
Townsend said he will recommend the high end of the sentencing range, one year behind bars. The jury deliberated about two hours before arriving at a decision.
As a juvenile, Sloan was convicted of two counts of first-degree reckless burning and one count of second-degree reckless burning.
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