Cortes gets 10 years for helping burn teacher’s car
Posted on Thursday, August 28, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/68538/
A 19-year-old Fayetteville man will serve a 10-year prison sentence for helping his friend torch a Lincoln school teacher’s car.
Nicholas Juan Cortes pleaded guilty to accomplice to arson and was sentenced to 20 years: 10 years in the Department of Correction and 10 years suspended.
His friend, Shawn Calvin Perkins, 18, pleaded guilty to accomplice to arson on July 25 and was also sentenced to 20 years: 10 years in the DOC and 10 years suspended. Both are ordered to pay $ 5, 000 in victim restitution following their release.
Judge Kim Smith, 4 th Judicial Circuit, made a nonbinding sentencing recommendation of boot camp for Cortes.
Cortes and Perkins are accused on April 17 of breaking a window and tossing a burning, gas-soaked rag into the interior of a Volkswagen Beetle driven by Michelle Morris, a Lincoln High School social studies teacher. They were arrested later that same day by Lincoln police.
Perkins was suspended from school the previous day after Morris sent him to the principal’s office. Cortes had previously attended Lincoln Public Schools but was not enrolled at the time of the incident, officials said.
Cortes appeared to be remorseful during sentencing when he admitted to driving Perkins to and from the crime scene, said David Harris, 4 th Judicial District deputy prosecutor.
Cortes said he broke out a car window before Perkins torched the teacher’s car because Perkins was mad at her, Harris said.
During his sentencing last month, Perkins said that he was angry because Morris would not let him leave class to use the bathroom. He argued with her, and she sent him to the principal’s office. Because he was suspended, Harris said that meant he would not be able to play baseball.
Young first-time offenders often avoid prison for felony crimes, but prosecutors considered this offense serious because it occurred on the Lincoln High School campus and near a day care facility. Arson carries a sentence of five to 20 years and a fine of up to $ 15, 000.
“ It’s one of the worst things that I know of (at Lincoln schools ) since I’ve been around, ” Lincoln Superintendent Frank Holman said in an earlier interview.
Holman said Perkins’ initial suspension was only for a few days, but after the arson incident, he was expelled and never allowed to return to the school district.