Woman punished out of arson case
A Marietta woman who set fire to her boyfriend’s VHS tapes and comic books in their home last summer was sentenced to three years of community control and will be required for the rest of her life to register as an arson offender.
“This was an unfortunate accident, my client is in her 50s with no prior criminal record,” said attorney Eric Fowler. “The fact that she’s legally blind and she’s in her 50s contributed to this fire getting out of control.”
Maria Ann Clark, 53, of 409 N. Seventh St., Marietta, was indicted in December for aggravated arson, a second-degree felony, and arson, a fourth-degree felony. Clark pleaded guilty April 14 to the fourth-degree felony arson charge and the second-degree felony was dropped by the Washington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Clark set fire on June 29 to VHS tapes and comic books owned by her boyfriend, David Shock, in their home.
The items were placed next to a wall near a wooden dresser and on a wooden floor of their home. Clark told Marietta Police that she had set the fire after an argument with her boyfriend about not disposing of the tapes and books and because he had refused to purchase more alcohol for her.
The house did not sustain irreparable damage and Shock did not ask for restitution Thursday.
“She didn’t intend for it to get out of hand,” said Shock, who was present for the sentencing hearing Thursday. “Losing her to prison would be a bigger loss to me than anything else.”
Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi noted Shock’s request to not incarcerate Clark and upon recommendation of Washington County Prosecutor Kevin Rings granted 28 days of confinement credit to Clark for jail time served prior to sentencing.
“The chances of Ms. Clark further violating her community control is minimal,” said Rings.
At a glance
¯ Maria Ann Clark, 53, of 409 N. Seventh St., Marietta, was sentenced to three years of community control Thursday in Washington County Common Pleas Court.
¯ Clark will also be required to register as an arson offender with her residential county for the remainder of her life.
¯ Clark pleaded guilty to arson, a second-degree felony, on April 14, for setting fire to her boyfriend’s comics and VHS tapes in June 2016.
Source: Washington County Common Pleas Court.