A D.C. man was sentenced to 57 months in prison Friday for setting fire to an apartment building where his own family lived.
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Ronnie Bookhardt, 64, pleaded guilty to one count of arson on Feb. 9, which led to his sentence, including three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors said Bookhardt was captured on surveillance video entering a stairwell in the four-story apartment building at 601 L St. in Southeast D.C. before 4:50 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2022.
Video showed him stopping outside an apartment where some family members lived, pouring gasoline on the floor and then lighting it before walking away.
The fire quickly spread, but the building’s sprinkler system activated and helped to contain the flames.
The damages were over $200,000, but no residents were injured.
According to court documents, the fire was sparked by an ongoing dispute between Bookhardt and members of his family who lived in the building.
He was arrested two days after the fire and has been held behind bars since then.
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