Chico's Bidwell Mansion arsonist sentenced to 11 years in state prison
CHICO – The man who ignited the fire that destroyed the historic Bidwell Mansion in Chico was sentenced to 11 years in state prison, officials said Wednesday.
Kevin Carlson, 30, was also ordered to pay $37,414,083 in restitution, with 10% interest running from the day the fire occurred, to California State Parks, the Butte County District Attorney's Office said.
Bidwell Mansion, a historic 26-room Victorian home, caught fire during the early morning hours of December 11. Within a week of the building's destruction, investigators were able to determine it was arson.
Carlson was captured on surveillance footage in the area of Bidwell Mansion at the time of the fire and in the preceding days purchasing a fuel can, a lighter and other items at a local gas station.
Investigators arrested Carlson on January 2 and, in early February, he confessed to the crime in front of a Butte County judge.
In sentencing Carlson, Butte County Superior Court Judge Corie Caraway said that more than 100 community members submitted victim impact statements and that "aggravating factors" allowed for the maximum sentence to be imposed rather than a lesser term of eight years recommended by the probation department, the DA's office said.
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