MASON CITY — One of the three Mason City men charged with arson in connection with a vehicle fire close to a home has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
44-year-old Andrew Lukes was accused of offering to pay 28-year-old William Rogers and 25-year-old Curtis Anderson Junior to set a vehicle on fire at Lukes’ former home in the 1000 block of North Jersey. A fire was started around midnight on February 5th as the vehicle sat in the driveway.
A criminal complaint states that Lukes not only knew his children lived in the home but that their bedroom was on the side of the house that was closest to the driveway and that the children being placed in danger could be reasonably anticipated. The fire did not cause any injuries.
All three men were charged with the Class B felony of first-degree arson, while Lukes was also charged with child endangerment.
During a plea change hearing this week, Anderson pleaded guilty to second-degree arson, a Class C felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, it will be recommended that Anderson be sentenced to ten years in prison on March 10th.
Lukes and Rogers earlier this month also pleaded guilty to second-degree arson. Lukes was sentenced to ten years in prison, while Rogers has his sentencing hearing scheduled for February 3rd in Cerro Gordo County District Court.
