Brooklyn man sentenced to 5 years for setting Kings Plaza parking garage fire

A Brooklyn man was sentenced Wednesday morning for setting fire to the Kings Plaza Shopping Center parking garage last year.

News 12 Staff

Sep 25, 2019, 9:36 PM

Updated 1,680 days ago

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A Brooklyn man was sentenced Wednesday morning for setting fire to the Kings Plaza Shopping Center parking garage last year.
Evon Stephens, 23, will spend the next five years behind bars after admitting to setting the parking garage on fire last September. He will also serve three years of supervised release.
Stephens addressed the courtroom Wednesday, apologizing to people who work and shop at the mall, saying he's sorry he "ruined a nice place." Stephens told a judge he wishes he was in anger management classes so he could have controlled his anger, and that he believes he needs help.
The fire quickly spread to vehicles throughout the garage, ultimately damaging 135 cars and injuring more than 25 people.
At the time of the incident, prosecutors say Stephens confessed to starting the fire because he believed people were having sex in the parked cars.
The judge made sure Stephens understood he is required to get mental health treatment, and that more than $7 million in restitution will be determined at a later date.
 


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