RF man gets 30 days jail for property damage

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A River Falls man was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days jail for misdemeanor criminal damage to property in Pierce County Circuit Court as part of a plea agreement.

Mark A. Nicholson, 33, was originally charged with arson, a Class C felony. He was also placed on one year probation and ordered to follow through with treatment.

The charge stems from a June 4 incident in which the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a house fire at W7250 870th Ave. in the Town of Martell. A press release stated Nicholson, the homeowner, was uninjured and was able to notify 911 dispatchers for help.

According to the criminal complaint, later that day, sheriff’s investigators began interviewing Nicholson and what he told them didn’t match the evidence.

Nicholson told them he went through the front door and he walked upstairs to see what was going on. Ellsworth firefighters told investigators that, when they opened the front door, the smoke was almost down to the floor so one couldn’t even see in the residence.

Three days later, sheriff’s investigators, along with members from the Division of Criminal Investigation, went to Nicholson’s parents’ house in Ellsworth, where he wanted to apologize for lying.

He first stated he owes a mortgage on the house “and that money is tight right now.”

He continued that, about 9:45 the night before the fire, he said he was home, downstairs, putting clothes in the dryer. He changed clothes, grabbed a gas can, poured it around the house and worked his way upstairs. When asked how many places he started the fire, he responded he lit it in several different spots. He left the house, going out a patio door after lighting it in the basement.

For more please read the Jan. 28 print version of the Herald.

Tags: news, piercecounty, rfman, sentenced