LAKEPORT, Calif. – A Northshore man has been sentenced to state prison for spousal abuse and arson in a case that was the result of several incidents earlier this year.
On Monday, Nov. 4, Michael Frederick Ward, 28, of Nice, was convicted and sentenced for felony charges of spousal abuse and arson of an inhabited structure, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff.
According to investigation reports by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, on April 7 deputies Ben Moore and Collin Coddington responded to the 7200 block of East Butte St. in Nice and contacted Ward’s wife.
She reported that Ward had pushed her down, causing an abrasion to her arm, flushed her deceased mother’s ashes down the toilet and stated that he would blow up the residence if law enforcement came inside.
At the time the victim did not want Ward prosecuted because of fear of retaliation, and deputies were unable to locate Ward, who had fled the residence before deputies arrived, Hinchcliff said.
A Lake County Sheriff’s office investigative report said that on July 4 Ward was still living with his wife and her two children at the East Butte Street residence in Nice. A neighbor reported that the children had come to her residence claiming Ward had a blow torch and was trying to catch the house on fire.
Deputies Justin Newton and Walter White responded, and Ward’s wife advised officers that she had been in an argument with Ward and went into the bedroom to get away from Ward. Ward subsequently nailed the windows and the door to the bedroom shut, and began threatening to burn the house down, the report said.
The victim knocked a hole through the wall to escape, and saw Ward with a propane torch attempting to start a fire. The report said deputies located a propane torch inside the residence and a charred piece of wood on the bedroom door. Deputies were again unable to locate Ward who had fled the residence before deputies arrived.
On July 26, Ward’s wife reported Ward was again inside the residence on Butte Street and was breaking and throwing things inside the residence, and had again threatened to set the residence on fire, another sheriff’s office report stated.
Deputies John Wander, John Drewrey, and other sheriff’s off staff responded to the residence. Upon the deputies’ arrival, Ward was still inside the residence and smoke was coming out of windows in the residence, the report explained.
Deputies Drewrey and Collin Coddington entered the residence to look for Ward or other persons and attempt to put the fire out. They noticed fire burning in more than one location and exited because of heavy smoke, according to the report.
The report said Drewrey and Capt. Chris Chwialkowski then entered the residence again, and once inside believed there may be a gas leak inside the residence, so they exited and advised nearby residents to evacuate the area. About that time Ward was seen attempting to flee out of a window and was detained by deputies Coddington and Jeffrey Mora.
Northshore Fire Protection District Chief Mike Ciancio contacted Keith Warner, a private arson investigator out of Rohnert Park, to conduct the origin and cause investigation. Hinchcliff said Warner has provided assistance numerous times in the past to fire agencies in Lake County and was previously a member of the Lake County Arson Task Force.
Warner’s investigation determined that the fire started in multiple separate locations and was intentionally set. Hinchcliff said the fire caused major damage to the residence, with Northshore Fire estimating the damage totaled $74,401.
Hinchcliff, who handles most of the fire-related prosecutions for Lake County, said he charged Ward with arson of a residence, attempted arson, criminal threats, false imprisonment, and child endangerment and prosecuted the case.
Kevin Davenport was appointed as a public defender to represent Ward. On Aug. 20, a preliminary hearing was held and a trial date was set, Hinchcliff said.
On Oct. 16, pursuant to a negotiated disposition, Ward pleaded no contest to felony arson of an inhabited structure and felony spousal abuse to a stipulated 10 years state prison, according to Hinchcliff.
On Nov. 4, Judge Andrew Blum sentenced Ward to 10 years state prison and ordered restitution in the amount of $74,401, Hinchcliff said.
Hinchcliff said Ward also was ordered to have no contact with the victim or her children, additional restitution was reserved for the victim and Ward was ordered to register as an arson offender for the rest of his life.
Northshore man sentenced to prison for felony spousal abuse, arson
- Lake County News reports
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