Wilbert Abeyta Charged With First Degree Arson; Sentenced For Probation Violation

A Casper man is heading to prison for violating his probation, and for being involved in a house fire.

Fifty-year old Wilbert Abeyta entered an Alford plea to one charge of first degree arson.

He was also sentenced to four-to-six years in prison, for probation violation in a related case.

Casper Fire Investigators say in September, Abeyta was at a house on the 1700 block of South Jackson Street, when a fire broke out in a vehicle inside the garage.

It was later determined that the fire started in the front seat of the vehicle, and Abeyta had a cigarette lighter in his coat.

Abeyta admitted to investigators to being in the area when the fire started, and put several items on the front seat at the time, in an attempt to put the fire out.

He claimed not to have started the fire, but investigators could not find any other individual other than Abeyta, who had access to and an opportunity to light the fire.

Abeyta admitted in court that he was intoxicated at the time.

He was originally on probation for another first degree arson case, in which he admitted to starting a fire at Gail Gardens Apartment Complex in Casper, back in 2010.