Friday, January 29, 1999
Teen may face adult trial in fire
Junior high still smoky
BY RANDY McNUTT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON — One of two boys accused of setting a $1 million fire at Wilson Junior High School on Jan. 15 might be tried as an adult.
On Thursday, Butler County Juvenile Judge David Nei haus set a probable-cause hearing for 11:30 a.m. Feb. 5 to determine whether the boy, 17 years old, can be tried that way.
The other boy is 15. So far, he is being prosecuted as a juvenile.
The Enquirer is not naming the youths because of their ages.
The judge ordered them to stay in the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center until next week's hearing. Assistant Prosecutor Patrick McKnight said the older boy would have to undergo psychological and physical examinations before he could be tried as an adult.
The boys were arrested Jan. 19 on charges of aggravated arson. The fire destroyed Wilson's band room and caused smoke damage on the school's four floors.
Principal Tracey Miller, who attended Thursday's hearing, said later that Wilson's students are adjusting to the inconvenience and shock of the fire.
“We're still looking at six to seven more weeks” of repair work, he said. “And that doesn't include repairing the band room and at least one science lab.”
He said school officials expect the damage to exceed the $1 million estimate.
“There is smoke everywhere,” Mr. Miller said. “You can go to a teacher's desk in the farthest room, and you will still smell smoke. There's soot everywhere.”
At the prosecutor's request, the judge ordered the boys kept separately during their incarceration.
Both also are charged as juveniles with violating probation, receiving stolen property and complicity to forgery, all for other incidents. Mr. McKnight said he also will file one theft charge against each boy soon.
The 15-year-old boy is a student at Wilson, which is closed. The older boy attends Hamilton High.
Wilson students are attending classes in the high school, which has been forced to go on split sessions to accommodate the load.
“The parents, students and staff are adjusting nicely,” Mr. Miller said. “It's not an ideal situation, but you can't ask any more from people. We just want to get this all behind us.”
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