Man Who Set Fatal Truck Fire In Penobscot Plaza Gets Life Sentence

A man who set fire to a truck in Penobscot Plaza in Bangor, killing two people who were inside, is going to prison for the rest of his life.

John De St. Croix told investigators in 2018 that he and the victims had been drinking, in the parking lot under the Chamberlain Bridge earlier in the evening and they had argued. 43-year-old Michael Bridges and 36-year-old Desiree York were sleeping in the box portion of a delivery truck when the fire started and were unable to escape in time. Police say De St. Croix is the one who called 911 and alerted them to the fire.

Originally, he pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, but was convicted in the spring of 2019. On Tuesday, prosecutors asked for a life sentence, according to the BDN, stating that De St. Croix intentionally locked the couple in the truck before setting the fire. The defense attorney asked for a sentence of 46 years. At one point during the sentencing, York's father was removed from the courtroom, after calling De St. Croix names. Six people addressed the court before the life sentence was read. In addition, he's sentenced to 30 years in prison for arson.