A 41-year-old convicted sex offender pleaded not guilty Friday to setting a fire in a Santa Ana apartment building that severely injured one victim.
Carrie Marie Immel was charged Sept. 11 with single counts each of arson with great bodily injury, arson of a dwelling and arson of property, all felonies.
She is accused of starting a three-alarm fire just after midnight, July 11, at the Saddleback Lodge at 1655 E. First St., according to Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna.
Eight to 10 apartments were damaged or destroyed, according to Capt. Tony Bommarito of the Orange County Fire Authority.
Eighteen residents were displaced and the Red Cross was called in to help them, Bommarito said.
The victim, a 30-year-old man, was taken to a hospital in critical condition with burn injuries, Bommarito said.
Immel pleaded guilty July 2, 2015, to a felony count of using an underage person for obscene matter, according to court records.
She assisted a co-defendant in using an underage girl “to engage in posing and modeling for purposes of preparing film and photographs involving sexual conduct by a minor,” according to Immel’s plea deal.
Immel was sentenced to 16 months in prison and was given credit then for 468 days behind bars awaiting trial.
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