By Denny Walsh and Sam Stanton
dwalsh@sacbee.com
Alexander Piggee pleaded guilty today to setting the massive Oct. 21 arson blaze at the Westfield Galleria in Roseville and likely will face 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 24.
The 24-year-old Sacramento man pleaded guilty to two arson counts in U.S. District Court in Sacramento this morning, one involving the $55 million Galleria blaze and the other for a minor fire he set at a North Highlands Walmart earlier that day.
Piggee could have faced up to 20 years in prison on each count, but federal prosecutors say they plan to ask that he be sentenced to two five-year terms to be served consecutively. Piggee also has agreed to plead guilty in Sacramento Superior Court to setting a blaze that damaged his grandmother's Oak Park home in the weeks before the Galleria fire. The District Attorney's office has agreed to recommend that any sentence he receive in that case be served concurrently with his federal time.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Steven Lapham said the resolution of the case was appropriate for a "kid who did a stupid act."
"Typically, in these cases there is a malevolent motive," Lapham said. "None was apparent here."
Piggee's attorney, Johnny Griffin III, said he also was pleased with how the case played out, and added that federal prosecutors recognized that others contributed to the massive loss sustained at the mall just before the start of the holiday shopping season. He said later that was a direct reference to the Roseville Police Department, which has been blamed for ordering the mall's sprinkler system temporarily turned off during the blaze to make it easier for a police robot to operate inside the mall.
Piggee appeared in an orange jail jumpsuit shackled and handcuffed and appeared calm as he politely answered questions from the judge.
Griffin described his client as "extremely remorseful" and said mental problems he suffered from have been helped by treatment since his arrrest.
"If his state of mind was as it is right now it would not have happened," Griffin said. "The treatment he's received in jail has relieved all of his mental problems to one degree or another, and right now we're dealing only with depression."
Call The Bee's Denny Walsh, (916) 321-1195.
Previous coverage:
Galleria arson defendant pleads not guilty in federal court - Feb. 10, 2011
Prosecutor says Galleria arson suspect 'mentally competent' - Feb. 9, 2011
Suspect in Roseville Galleria fire indicted by federal grand jury - Feb. 4, 2011
Bomb experts back Roseville decision not to go into burning mall - Dec. 18, 2010
Galleria worker shut off water, report says - Dec. 17, 2010
Judge weighs gag order request in Roseville Galleria arson case - Dec. 15, 2010
Gag order proposed in Roseville mall arson case - Dec. 12, 2010
Roseville officials delay release of draft assessment of Galleria fire - Dec. 8, 2010
Galleria arson suspect had sought mental help, says lawyer - Oct. 29, 2010
Sprinklers were turned off at Roseville Galleria during arson fire, city says - Oct. 27, 2010
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