DAYTON, Ohio --
A man was sentenced Wednesday morning for theft after officials said he caused a massive fire that burned for days in downtown Dayton.
William Church was cutting up stolen scrap metal at the old General Motors plant on Taylor Street when firefighters said sparks caught the entire building on fire last August.
The smoke from the fire filled the sky above Dayton for hours and firefighters worked the smoldering remains for several days. The plant was actually in demolition when it burned down. City leaders said the site is be be used for the new Tech Town construction project.
Officials admit while the fire may have helped in the demolition process, Church still had to face the consequences of his actions after investigators discovered he was stealing scrap metal when the fire began.
On Wednesday morning, a judge sentenced Church to probation and restitution, paying the city back thousands of dollars for the costs incurred by emergency responders during the fire.
Church had no comment during his sentencing, but his lawyer said, "Mr. Church is apologetic for his actions and what brought him before the court, and he is looking forward to moving on from this."
Church will be moving on with a big bill totaling more than $2,300, which the court requires him to pay back at $40 a month.
At that rate, it will be nearly five years before the city gets its money back.
