A Chula Vista man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession of a destructive device in his apartment before a fire that burned the building.
David Wasson, 33, had agreed to accept the eight-year sentence by Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Francis Devaney as part of his plea agreement with the District Attorney’s office.
Devaney gave him credit for already serving 616 days in jail that includes good conduct credit. Restitution was reserved for a later hearing as Deputy District Attorney Deborah Larouche said no information about amount of damages to the building has been received.
Explosives and weapons were found inside Wasson’s unit at the Seawind Apartments at 1067 Fourth Ave. near Naples Street. A fire started at 2:05 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2016 in the 2-story building, and 30 people were temporarily displaced as a result.
A small amount of methamphetamine and heroin were also found in Wasson’s unit along with zip guns and other devices. He was not charged with arson. He told officers he was cooking when his shirt caught fire and he threw it on a gasoline container.
Wasson pleaded guilty in July just before his case was to be assigned to a courtroom for trial. He was ordered to stand trial on eight charges after Chula Vista police officers testified at his April 4 preliminary hearing.
The dismissed charges include other counts of possession of a destructive device, possession of a zip gun, possession of heroin and methamphetamine, and giving false information to officers.
