Peter Taraba, the 48-year-old man convicted of setting a fire inside Berkeley's city-run animal shelter in June, was sentenced Thursday to 16 months in state prison, Berkeleyside reports.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Clifford Blakeley handed down a term between the two sides' requests. Prosecutors had sought two years, while Taraba asked for probation. Under state law, Taraba will likely be eligible for release after serving about half the sentence. The judge noted the crime was non-violent and that Taraba's prior record was minimal, but told him that setting a fire near the animal pens in the middle of the night was "extremely dangerous conduct" the court could not ignore.
What happened
According to a Berkeley Police Department release from June, emergency crews responded to the shelter near Aquatic Park at about 10:08 p.m. on June 6 after a burglar alarm and then a fire alarm went off. Investigators concluded someone had broken a window with a rock and started the fire with an improvised incendiary device. Detectives identified Taraba from surveillance footage and arrested him downtown on June 11.
Police testified that officers had taken Taraba's dog to the shelter the day before the fire, after arresting him in a separate incident involving a punctured bicycle tire. The fire burned a pile of donated pet supplies under a lobby staircase. Sprinklers put it out, but smoke and water damaged parts of the building. The 42 animals housed there were moved to other facilities, and none were hurt in the fire, The Berkeley Scanner reported at the time.
A jury convicted Taraba of felony arson in September after a five-day trial. He represented himself but called no witnesses and gave no opening or closing statement, according to court records cited by Berkeleyside.
A dispute over euthanasia
At sentencing, a prosecutor said some animals were euthanized as a result of the fire. Berkeley Animal Services Manager Michael St. Pierre disputed that, telling Berkeleyside that no animals were euthanized as a direct result of the fire and that any such decisions were based on each animal's individual circumstances.
Where the shelter stands
The shelter was closed for nearly two months and has been close to full operation since late July. St. Pierre said field services are back, strays are being accepted and owner surrenders are being scheduled, though part of the second floor remains closed to the public and "there is still a decent amount of work left."