Man Who Set Fire To Youth Program Storage Going To Prison

PORT JERVIS, NY — A man who admitted he set fire to a storage container belonging to the Port Jervis Youth Program found out how long he will be spending behind bars.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said Steve Brewer, 39, of Port Jervis, was sentenced to two to six years in prison and ordered to pay $7,199.20 in restitution relative to his pleading guilty to third-degree arson.

Prosecutors said Brewer was released without bail after his arrest because the charges he faces were not bail-eligible.

He subsequently fled to the state of Ohio, avoided apprehension for two years and had to be extradited in order to answer the charges.

Law enforcement said, on April 18, 2021, Port Jervis police responded to a fire in the area of Riverside Park. Brewer was seen near a garbage can that was also on fire.

He later spoke to the police and initially said that two teenagers were responsible for the fires.

Brewer then admitted he set the fires himself, and the damaged property included a cargo container used to store bikes, helmets and other items belonging to the Port Jervis Youth Program.

At the plea proceedings, Brewer admitted to intentionally damaging the cargo container by starting a fire.

Hoovler said Brewer’s actions constitute vandalism at its worst and most dangerous.

“The fires the defendant set caused thousands of dollars of damage to property used for children in the community,” he said.