Thornton firefighter guilty of arson

After pleading guilty to arson, a part-time Thornton firefighter was sentenced to four years in state prison and could be ordered to pay as much as $36,000 in restitution.

Brian Patrick Schneider, 28, entered his plea Monday in San Joaquin County court, said Deputy District Attorney Mark Ott.

Schneider had been free on $130,000 bail since March 4, when he was arrested and charged in connection with three suspicious fires during a two-week period.

He pleaded guilty to one count of arson of a structure, in connection with a March 3 fire that badly damaged a two-story home in the 11000 block of Walnut Grove Road. Nobody was home when the 1:14 a.m. blaze began, and fire crews from several fire departments were called to help extinguish it.

Schneider had also been charged with two more counts of arson, related to a recreational vehicle fire at Thornton and Kile roads, and the burning of a shed just behind the Thornton fire station.

In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped the two other arson charges. If convicted of all charges, Schneider had faced a possible sentence of more than seven years in prison, Ott said.

Though Schneider was sentenced to four years, he'll be eligible for release after two years, according to both Ott and defense attorney Joel Perisho.

"He's a very good kid, he comes from a good family," Perisho said of Schneider. "He had some emotional problems, some bipolar issues that put him in this path."

Schneider, who is no longer employed with the Thornton Fire Department, "wanted to get this over with," Perisho said.

The conviction counts as a strike under California's three-strikes law, meaning that if Schneider is ever convicted of another serious felony, that sentence will be lengthened.

Additionally, he must register annually as an arsonist for life, and pay restitution.

An insurance company submitted a claim seeking $36,000, Ott said, though the defense disputes the amount because insurers provided no specific break down of the cost. The total will ultimately be determined through the California Department of Corrections.

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.