A 38-year-old parolee who ignited two fires in Riverside that together caused nearly $2 million in damage was bound for state prison Wednesday to serve a term of 2 years, eight months behind bars.
George Alexander Hill, an area transient, pleaded guilty last week to arson involving a structure under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors dropped another arson count, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of using an incendiary device and targeting multiple structures in an act of arson.
During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Tuesday, Superior Court Judge Walter Kubelun certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the sentence stipulated by the prosecution and defense.
According to the Riverside Fire Department, the defendant ignited a blaze that caused an estimated $100,000 damage to a Walmart in the 5200 block of Van Buren Boulevard on Oct. 23, 2022.
The non-injury blaze was knocked down a short time later and did not cause the store to cease operations.
RFD Arson Investigator Ray Mendoza said that on the night of Dec. 18, 2022, Hill torched a pile of pallets outside a building, and the fire spread to the interior of the structure, where stuffed animals were manufactured.
Firefighters battled the blaze for an hour before gaining the upper hand. Again, no one was injured.
Total damage to that business was estimated to be $1.5 million, according to the fire department.
A possible motive for the offenses was not disclosed.
According to court records, Hill had prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and possession of controlled substances.