Woman sentenced for burning Bay Area homeless camp
The defendant admitted to recklessly setting the fire that gutted the refuge at Lee Gerner Park in Marin County.
A Novato woman who set fire to the city’s camp for homeless people was placed on probation for two years on Wednesday.
Brianna Marie Giudice, 36, also received a 140-day jail sentence from Judge Geoffrey Howard. But under state law, the sentence for the nonviolent offense can be served in half the time with credit for good behavior in custody. Giudice has already served 70 days and has been released from jail.
Novato police arrested Giudice after linking her to the July 30 fire that damaged the camp at Lee Gerner Park. Giudice had been a resident there. The fire caused no injuries, but the city closed the camp afterward and relocated the occupants.
The prosecution initially charged Giudice with a felony arson count. She accepted a plea offer last month and admitted to a misdemeanor charge of recklessly burning property. She also pleaded guilty to a felony charge of carrying a concealed stolen firearm and violating her probation in a separate case.
Giudice’s attorney, Elissa Eckman, declined to comment after the sentencing.
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