Chase Ettner, right, and his lawyer Ken Johnson appear in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The 27-year-old man charged with arson after setting fire to his own Chehalis apartment two weeks ago pleaded guilty today.
Chase N. Ettner wanted to apologize for his actions, recognizing the potential seriousness of the situation, his attorney told a judge this afternoon.
“He has no prior record, he’s not criminally inclined,” Chehalis attorney Ken Johnson said. “He’s seriously embarrassed by this incident, and he’s remorseful.”
Police and firefighters called the night of July 16 to the 100 block of North Market Boulevard found residents had evacuated the brick building and a resident or residents working on extinguishing the flames.
Ettner had jumped out the window of the ground floor apartment he shared with his wife and was laying on the ground extremely intoxicated, surrounded by an unruly crowd, according to responders.
A gas can was found inside the apartment; the oven and stove were turned on, police said. The carpet and a futon were damaged by fire, according to the fire department.
Chehalis police initially said Ettner may have been trying to harm himself or possibly his wife. He also told police, according to charging document, he made sure everybody was out before he “torched the place.”
Ettner and his wife had argued, but she had left, according to attorneys.
Residents from five apartments in the 21-unit brick building had to find somewhere else to stay temporarily.
Both lawyers and Ettner agreed alcohol played a large role that night, and indicated because of that, it’s really not clear what his intentions were.
Johnson suggested the household had alcohol issues.
Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead recommended Ettner be sentenced to two years in prison following a plea agreement.
The standard sentencing range for the crime – first-degree arson domestic violence – for Ettner is 21 to 27 months.
Halstead additionally requested he be ordered not to consume alcohol.
Ettner’s voice broke when he addressed Judge James Lawler this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.
He said it’s been years without hard drugs, but the alcohol came back and he wants to put it behind him.
“I never thought I would do anything to send myself to prison,” he said.
“I really don’t know what came over me that night,” he added.
Judge Lawler agreed with a two-year sentence.
“I hope you can make that change, because if you don’t, you know what’s waiting for you,” Lawler said.
A no-contact order was entered on behalf of Ettner’s wife, but Johnson said his client who’s spent most of his life in Tennessee may go back there and also thought it best if they went their separate ways.
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For background, read:
• “Police: Intoxicated Chehalis man arrested after starting fire in his apartment” from Monday July 16, 2012 at 9:22 a.m., here
• “Prosecutors: Drunken apartment resident tried to hurt self, get back at wife with arson” from Tuesday July 17, 2012 at 9:51 a.m., here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter