A transient who set seven fires in Ocean Beach, damaging six cars, was sentenced Dec. 20 to eight years in state prison.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Polly Shamoon ordered Michael Alexander Barringer, 26, to pay $4,823 to the City Treasurer’s office in restitution and a status on further restitution to victims was set for Jan. 30.
Barringer, wearing blue jail clothes, said nothing before he was sentenced. Shamoon fined him $5,000 and gave him credit for serving 321 days in jail.
Barringer pleaded guilty to seven counts of arson, and five other arson related charges were dismissed after he pleaded guilty on Nov. 21.
The car most severely damaged was a 1979 MGB classic convertible that was owned by Scott Stavish. The car’s interior was destroyed.
A detective testified Barringer placed trash and papers inside the car and set it on fire. Most of the fires were set inside trash or recyclable bins that were either put on or beside the vehicles in Ocean Beach.
After Barringer is paroled, he could face a staggering prison sentence if he is charged with another felony. The seven counts are considered strikes, said Deputy District Attorney Meghan Buckner, and he could get 25 years to life per felony charge in the future.
Barringer admitted to all 10 arsons including two attempts to commit arson on late July 12 and on July 13 in the early morning hours after he was shown photos of the scenes, said Detective Patrick Shadoan.
There was no apparent motive in all but one of the fires and Barringer didn’t know the cars’ owners.
Barringer said he put a bag of dog feces on someone’s porch and set it aflame because the resident in the house had refused to give him money, said Shadoan.
El primer incendio se inició en un callejón cerca de Bacon Street y Cape May Avenue. Se produjeron otros incendios en Newport Avenue, Voltaire Street, Muir Avenue, Spray Street, Long Branch Avenue y Niagara Avenue.
Fue arrestado a las 5:30 am del 13 de julio.