11.15.11: Hicks Pleads Guilty to Burning Down Tire Store Where He Worked
November 15, 2011 -- For burning down the tire store where he worked, Jason T. Hicks pled guilty today to first-degree arson and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with all but time served suspended, and three years of supervised probation. He also must serve 100 hours of community service and tour the burn unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital within six months.
On September 26, 2011, at Belvedere Tires in Northwest Baltimore, Hicks was flicking a lighter near a paint brush saturated with a mixture of tar and gasoline and a five-gallon bucket filled with liquid. A spark ignited a fire that burned throughout the night. Hicks flicked the lighter because he wanted to use a colleague's paint brush.
The store owner, who didn't want Hicks to be jailed, has said he would be willing to rehire the 35-year-old upon release.
Assistant State's Attorney Shari Greene prosecuted the case.