The man charged with setting a string of fires in City Heights last year is headed to prison.
Friday afternoon, a judge sentenced Rolando Resendiz to 7 years, 4 months in prison.
Someone set 16 fires in the area of Ogden and Landis Streets in late March and early April of 2015. Resendiz was convicted of setting three of them.
The 25-year-old showed no expression when the deputy district attorney described his crime spree in court.
"Mr. Resendiz terrorized a small area of our community," said Deputy District attorney Ted Fiorito.
The fires were set dangerously close to people's homes, most in the middle of the night.
Alan Temby feared for his family's safety. "Is it going to be us or somebody else," said Temby.
Police say they caught the 25-year-old walking away from one of the fires. He told them he went to have a cigarette, but officers didn't find any cigarettes on him.
The public defender told the judge Resendiz has no criminal record and the verbal skills of an 11-year-old. She asked for probation, but the judge said Resendiz still denies setting the fires and that proves he hasn't learned his lesson.
The defendant's family was in court Friday but declined to talk to reporters.
Resendiz also faces deportation.
