Former KU student guilty of 13 counts of arson in K.C. suburbs
Olathe ? An Olathe man – and former Kansas University student – was convicted Friday of 13 counts of arson for a string of blazes that caused millions of dollars in damage last year in four Kansas City suburbs.
David Jay, 24, confessed to the arsons after he was arrested in March 2004 in Fontana, Calif., prosecutors said, telling detectives he was “infatuated” with fire.
A Johnson County District Court jury found him guilty of one count of aggravated arson and 12 counts of arson. The aggravated arson charge was because someone was inside one of the buildings he set on fire.
He was acquitted on one arson count, apparently because he wasn’t asked about one of the fires when being interviewed by detectives.
A detective said Jay admitted to starting fires in Olathe, Overland Park, Lenexa and Leawood with starter logs, camping fuel and wooden matches.
The biggest fire was on the last day of the spree, when a senior center that was under construction was almost completely destroyed. Damage was estimated at between $7 million and $8 million there, and an Olathe fire captain was injured.
Jay is scheduled to be sentenced in July.