KALAMAZOO, Mich. — George Stanard was recently sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison for eight acts of arson around the Kalamazoo area.
His crime is still felt in downtown Kalamazoo, where a more than 100 year old building remains a shell of it's former self.
Owner Sean Smith was gearing up to open his new small business, something to add to Kalamazoo's nightlife, when the fire broke out in 2024.
“It has been a tragedy of course,” Smith said.
The building sits in a main part of Kalamazoo's downtown area on Water Street.
“Paints a sad picture, for what Kalamazoo has to offer,” Smith said.
For passersby, like Zachary Chrisman, in town visiting from Indiana, it's a reason to stop and stare.
“It historically has significance. To damage that, it’s like, why why,” Chrisman said.
People lost their homes. Authorities caught Stanard on video, leading to his arrest.
"Is George Stanard one of the worst arsonists that Kalamazoo area has ever seen?" FOX 17 reporter Julie Dunmire asked.
"I would have to say.. he’s probably one of the most pronounced arsonists that we’ve had," Kalamazoo Public Safety Fire Marshall Scott Brooks replied.
Kalamazoo
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For the Fire Marshall, it was a busy summer of 2024. Scott Brooks says he's grateful for Stanard's sentence.
“I can’t thank Judge D'Angelo enough. And all the prosecution that went into the case against George Stanard. Our detective division, and everything that we’ve done to get a resolution to this has just been fantastic,” Scott said.
Sean Smith remains hopeful for the future, despite all he and many others lost in the fires.
“You can still work in there, it’s still safe. But it’s a major loss, you know obviously,” Smith said.
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