Wilbert Abeyta Sentenced For Second Arson Case

A Casper man has been given another prison sentence, in a case in which prosecutors say he started another fire.

Fifty-year old Wilbert Abeyta was sentenced to four-to-six years in prison, after he entered an Alford plea to one charge of first degree arson.

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 and a judge ordered him to pay more than $130,000 in restitution.

He was involved in a separate first degree arson incident, in which he admitted to starting a fire at Gail Gardens Apartment complex in Casper, back in 2010.

Abeyta was given probation for that case, but then had it revoked, when prosecutors say he got involved in this case, and was sentenced to 4-to-6 years in prison, for probation violation.

Both prison sentences will be served at the same time.