Posted on Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 7:32 a.m.
Man who set fire to home while children were inside pleads no contest to arson
By Lee Higgins
A man prosecutors said set fire to an Ypsilanti Township home in April while a woman and her two children were inside pleaded no contest Wednesday afternoon to arson of a dwelling.
Akil Azim Alexander, 29, of Dearborn Heights, entered the plea in front of Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Archie Brown.
Alexander
Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies said Alexander set fire to the exterior of a home on Maplelawn Drive about 1:30 a.m. April 10 while a woman and her two children were inside. No one was injured in the blaze that caused thousands of dollars in damage.
Investigators said Alexander set the fire because he was upset the woman broke off a relationship with him.
Alexander is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 1.
Comments
Billy Bob Schwartz
Sat, Dec 24, 2011 : 11:39 p.m.
So many crooks...so few jaill cells. I say, Build, baby, build!
Ypsi_Wings_Fan
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 11:34 p.m.
This man is a pathetic, angry person who deserves to do many years in prison for putting people in danger like that.
justcurious
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 12:13 p.m.
Our justice system is truly screwed up if this man cannot be charged with attempted murder. Only by the grace of God were these innocent people saved from dying in a fire.
jns131
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 1:22 p.m.
Not necessarily. Just wait until the inmates get a hold of him. Then he will realize that he really screwed up.
LaMusica
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 11:12 p.m.
UNBELIEVABLE!!!! What a spineless piece of work..."boo hoo you don't like me anymore so I'll burn your house down with your kids inside." What an incredible coward. And the charge of arson?! What a joke! I agree with other posters....there should be more serious charges here. I'm glad this family is safe though.
B2Pilot
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 5:02 p.m.
What a spinless wimp, Gee wonder what he'll do to someone he really doesn't like.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Sat, Dec 24, 2011 : 11:37 p.m.
Yeah, but you gotta understand: he was upset!
RJA
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 3:32 p.m.
Hopefully this man is being held until Feb. 1st. I don't get the Arson thing myself. I hope he gets plenty time in the slammer.
jns131
Fri, Dec 23, 2011 : 1:21 p.m.
As I have always been told, convicts do not like perps or predators. This guy will have a lot to think about while doing time until his sentencing.
Maya Aracena
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:12 p.m.
He tried to kill his children, and he pled to ARSON??? Really???
free
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.
Twenty bucks says this guy gets probation too.
Robbo
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 2:06 p.m.
ARSON! Are you kidding me? Why not attempted murder?
Lovaduck
Thu, Dec 22, 2011 : 5:29 p.m.
Sometimes prosecutors realize that it's too difficult to prove intent. It has deniability--the defendant can say that it was a spontaneous crime of passion, etc. Although I completely agree with your comment.