Man pleads guilty for fire that burned over 120 acres within Hollister Ranch in March
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty to felony counts of arson on Wednesday for involvement in a fire that burned over 120 acres in and around the Hollister Ranch area, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday.
Edward Junior Macklin pleaded guilty to one felony count of arson of a structure or forest for the fire between Cuarta Canyon and Alegria Canyon on March 12. The fire burned across five properties within Hollister Ranch.
Macklin was charged with the crime in June but originally pleaded not guilty.
Macklin will receive a jail sentence and felony probation, in addition to being required to register as an arsonist. His conviction is considered a strike offense in California, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Macklin is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 26 in Lompoc.