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Man sentenced with arson of his Virginia Beach apartment

Posted at 12:44 PM, Jun 30, 2017
and last updated 2019-04-03 16:38:13-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A man was sentenced on Wednesday with arson of the apartment where he lived.

39-year-old Gregory James Oechsner will serve 2 years and 6 months in prison.

On July 29, 2017, shortly after 8 p.m., officials were called to an apartment fire in the 600 block of Grant Avenue.

Five adults, seven children, two cats, a dog and a rabbit were home at the time the fire started but all made it out safely.

One adult was taken to a hospital for treatment of non life threatening injuries.

Oechsner was then charged with Arson of an Occupied Dwelling. Officials say Oechsner lives in the apartment.

News 3 spoke to Oechsner at the jail on Friday afternoon. At first he told a reporter the fire was an accident, but later said he started it on purpose. "Yeah, I did start it on purpose," he said. "Just didn't think it was going to take off as bad as it did." He later added that he's sorry.

He was taken to Virginia Beach Jail.