Defendant said he set the house on fire to make his mark and get revenge.
NORTH PLAINFIELD -- A Plainfield man who set fire to his ex-girlfriend's family home in North Plainfield while her 16-year-old sister was still inside was sentenced Friday to six years in prison.
Alexis Brito, 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated arson, second-degree burglary, two counts of third-degree arson, third-degree hindering apprehension, fourth-degree theft and fourth-degree resisting arrest before Somerset County Superior Court Judge H. Matthew Curry. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he's eligible for parole.
Brito, who set the fire in an act of revenge against his ex-girlfriend and returned to the scene to watch the house burn, must also pay two insurance companies more than $300,000 in restitution. He must pay Philadelphia-based Cozen O'Connor $297,047.49 and Travelers Insurance $3,179.14 for damage to two separate homes, including his ex-girlfriend's, which was totally destroyed.
RELATED: Man sets fire to ex's home to make his mark, get revenge
Charges of second-degree aggravated arson and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child were dismissed against Brito, who was represented by public defender Stuart White.
Assistant prosecutor Matthew Murphy represented the state.
On June 28, 2014 at 12:09 a.m., North Plainfield police and area fire departments responded to the fire at 91 Manning Avenue, authorities have said. The single-family home was soon fully engulfed in flames, with neighboring homes also sustaining damage, authorities have said.
Alexis Brito's ex-girlfriend's house. (File photo)The ex-girlfriend's sister was inside the home at the time of the fire but managed to escape by jumping out of a second-floor window, authorities have said.
Upon his arrest, Brito said he had dated his ex-girlfriend for about three years and knew all her family members, and he wanted to burn the house down to "make his mark" and act out his "revenge," authorities have said.
Brito, who had an argument with his ex-girlfriend prior to the fire, told police he re-entered the house when his ex-girlfriend left with her parents and used a bottle of cologne he found in her bedroom as an accelerant to ignite the fire, authorities have said.
After setting fire to curtains, a mattress and couch on the first floor, he exited out the back door, but not before turning on the gas to the stove and taking his ex-girlfriend's iPad, authorities have said.
Brito fled the area, but then returned to the scene to watch the fire he had started, authorities have said.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
