Allexus Pecoraro, of Erieville in Madison County, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment in the first degree and was sentenced to two-and-a-third years to seven years in prison, the Albany County District Attorney's Office said.
Pecoraro was accused of starting a fire on the porch at 489 Hudson Avenue in Albany on May 8, 2022. The home is near the College of Saint Rose. The blaze gutted the house and damaged others next door and three vehicles, the prosecutor said.
The prosecutor said Pecoraro's actions showed "depraved indifference to human life."
The mother of one of the victims said she hopes Pecoraro is haunted by what she did that day.
After the fire, you remained free to live your life as if nothing happened at all. You posted on social media living it up as my son scrambled to find clothes to wear and suits for his internship. He was forced to pay $500 a week for emergency housing. Your actions after the fire were despicable and unforgivable. Your reckless actions will forever haunt my son's life and our entire family. I hope that every day you walk this earth you will reflect on 15 lives you could have taken that day with your actions.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Cheryl Fowler added to that sentiment. She said she hoped the guilty verdict would provide a sense of closure for the families impacted by the fire.
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