Earlier today, a 20-year-old man pled guilty to Manslaughter for starting a fire that resulted in the death of an Elizabeth Firefighter last January, announced Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.
Emilio Vasquez DOB: 7/18/89, of Guatemala, admitted that on January 2, 2009, he started a fire inside an unoccupied house on Marshall Street in an attempt to keep warm, said Assistant Prosecutor Michael Henn who prosecuted the case. When the fire got out of control the Elizabeth Fire Department responded. During the course of fighting the blaze, Firefighter Gary Stephens was killed by fire apparatus in the chaos of the scene.
This morning, before Hemilich, Vasquez said he was intoxicated when he started the fire and that his actions were reckless and resulted in the death of Stephens, said Henn.
Vasquez took sole responsibility for the fire, saying a co-defendant, Jose Flores, had nothing to do with starting the fire. Flores has a court appearance scheduled for Wednesday, said Henn.
Vasquez faces up to three years in prison when he is sentenced on February 10, 2010. He will be deported upon his release from prison. |
