Another suspect pleads guilty in string of arsons that plagued community outside Philadelphia

Another suspect pleads guilty in Pa. arsons case

WEST CHESTER, Pa. — A suburban Philadelphia man has admitted to setting a series of fires including one that destroyed 15 homes in an arson-plagued Pennsylvania city.

Twenty-one-year-old Roger Leon Barlow Jr. pleaded guilty to eight counts of arson and one count of criminal mischief Friday in Chester County Court. He was immediately sentenced to at least 12 1/2 years in prison plus probation.

The fires caused more than $1 million in damage in Coatesville, about 30 miles west of Philadelphia. The Daily Local News of West Chester reported Barlow apologized in court.

Several other suspects were charged in connection with a string of fires in Coatesville and nearby communities that began in February 2008.

Information from: Daily Local News, www.dailylocal.com