A 37-year-old man, who was tracked down after victims made hand-drawn pictures of their attacker, pleaded guilty Wednesday and was immediately sentenced to three years in prison for setting fire to a tent occupied by two homeless people in Santa Ana.
James Anthony Lawlor of Santa Ana pleaded guilty to arson of an inhabited structure, possession of flammable material, criminal threats and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, all felonies. As part of the plea deal with prosecutors, a more serious charge of attempted murder with a sentencing enhancement of attempted premeditated murder -- which would have mandated a life sentence -- was dismissed.
The terms of his sentence mean Lawlor will only have to serve about another six months behind bars, according to his attorney, Mark Fredrick.