Miguel Balderos Sentenced to 10 years and 8 months

SANTA CRUZ - A 53-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to more than 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to setting fire to the Santa Cruz city attorney's office.

Miguel William Balderos started a fire at the city attorney's office on the 300 block of Church Street on July 2, 2010, and he told police that he was an anarchist protesting the city's camping ban.

No one was hurt in the fire -- which began in a recycling bin -- but the blaze caused about $50,000 in damage and sent smoke through the office. The fire was started about 4:15 a.m. at the office of Atchison, Barisone, Condotti and Kovacevich, a private law firm that is contracted to work for the city.

Balderos has been imprisoned at least four times for convictions that include residential burglary and robbery, District Attorney Bob Lee said in a statement. Balderos pleaded guilty in April to three felony counts including arson and threatening a public official in the recent case, Lee said.

Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 12 years and eight months in state prison. Tuesday, Judge Paul Marigonda sentenced Balderos to 10 years and 8 months prison.

"The community will not tolerate Mr. Balderos' outrageous and threatening conduct," prosecutor Nicole Ellen Jones said in a statement.


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