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Plea reached in arson case

Drug program being sought

A woman who once burned down her Clay Township home now is in jail — because she has no home.

According to court records, 27-year-old Danialle Lynn Digiacomo confessed to police that she used a cigarette lighter to ignite a sofa bed at 110 Filer Lane on June 29, 2009.

The fire destroyed the house, which Digiacomo and her then-boyfriend were contractually obligated to rent even though she wanted to leave, according to court records. She reportedly told investigators the house was in poor condition and not convenient to the city’s access to food and drugs.

Digiacomo pleaded guilty to arson.

Butler County Judge Timothy McCune on Thursday sentenced Digiacomo to a plea arrangement made with prosecutors: 48 months of probation and $162,761 in restitution.

And the same time, Digiacomo is serving a sentence of 9 months of probation for violating the terms of a 2013 theft conviction. According to court records, Digiacomo violated the probation by, among other things, abusing hallucinogenic cough medicine and alcohol.

McCune, who issued the violation sentence in May, at that time decided Digiacomo can leave the prison only when a plan that includes appropriate housing and mental health compliance is completed.

Even though neither of her sentences now call for jail time, Digiacomo as of Thursday still was in prison because she hasn’t found appropriate housing.

Digiacomo’s defense attorney Terri Schultz told the judge that officials are trying to find an inpatient drug treatment program to accept her.

Additionally, Schultz told the judge that she plans to later dispute the amount of restitution in the arson case because, “four times (the house) has gone up in value since we started (plea) negotiations.”

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