The Associated Press
ABILENE, Texas — A man once hailed as a hero for rescuing children from a burning apartment complex was convicted Tuesday in connection with the blaze.
Kristopher Leija, 26, was convicted of arson of a vehicle but acquitted of arson of a habitation and arson of a building.
Leija gained national attention in 2003 after television news footage showed him helping four children to safety from the fire, which left about 70 families homeless but injured no one.
The next day, after authorities recognized Leija from a television interview, he was arrested for violating the terms of his probation for a burglary conviction.
Leija was charged last year with arson. He told police he threw a lit marijuana-laced cigar into a nearby trailer — which he knew contained cans marked “flammable” — because he had seen a police car pass and was afraid of getting caught doing drugs.
Leija could face two to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Sentencing is expected in about six weeks.