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Norfolk man pleads guilty to setting house on fire

Posted at 11:50 AM, Sep 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-05 13:57:05-04

Donald Stricker

NORFOLK, Va. – Donald Stricker stood in front of a Norfolk Circuit Court judge on Wednesday where he admitted to setting his own house on fire.

The guilty plea comes nine months after police say he set fire to a home on Birmingham Avenue near Wards Corner.

According to court records, 36, lived in the home with his family. The documents include a claim from Stricker’s wife that he was drunk when he intentionally set the fire.

The judge sentenced Stricker to three years in prison, all of which will remain suspended provided he stays on good behavior for an undetermined amount of time.

Stricker must also seek mental health counseling and he is not allowed to have contact with his wife or children without court permission.

Stricker’s attorney told the court he will move to New Jersey to stay with family there.

You may remember this story because a local resident’s video went viral from the scene of the fire.