First Felon Convicted in Riots Given Nearly 20 Years

After what is believed to be the first felony conviction stemming from the Los Angeles riots, a 34-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to almost 20 years in prison for setting a fire that destroyed a 20-store mall in the Mid-City district.

The conviction of Donald Coleman stemmed largely from the testimony of a witness who said he saw Coleman light a Molotov cocktail and hurl it into a 7-Eleven convenience store at 6th Street and Western Avenue, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Sally Lipscomb, who prosecuted the case.

The April 30 blaze spread quickly to adjacent buildings, burning the entire mall to the ground. In addition to the convenience store, the mall contained doctors’ offices, shoe stores, an auto parts store and several restaurants.

After three days of deliberations, a jury found Coleman guilty on Wednesday of using a destructive device (the Molotov cocktail), arson of the structures, arson of the equipment and fixtures in the 7-Eleven store and burglary of the 7-Eleven store.

Coleman was acquitted on charges of destroying equipment, personal property and fixtures in the other stores.

“I think the jury felt that he didn’t necessarily plan to burn the other property,” Lipscomb said.

On Thursday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Nancy Brown sentenced Coleman to 19 years and 8 months in state prison. The basic sentence of 9 years and 8 months was extended by 10 years because Coleman had previously been convicted of robbery and attempted robbery in unrelated cases.

Defense attorney Patrick Thomason said the verdict and sentence will be appealed.

According to the prosecutor, Coleman testified during the weeklong trial that after he and some companions looted liquor and cigarettes from a nearby market, they smashed the windows of the 7-Eleven to continue their looting.

But Coleman denied starting the fire at the mall, Lipscomb said.

When Cohen took the stand, he testified that he saw Coleman and the others break into the convenience store and steal more liquor and cigarettes, Lipscomb said.

“Cohen said some of the guys engaged in the looting came out with the Molotov cocktail and Coleman said, ‘Let me have that, I want to see this place burn,’ ” the prosecutor said. “Cohen said Coleman lit the Molotov cocktail and threw it in.”

Lipscomb said Coleman had been released from jail about three weeks before the riots after serving a 10-day sentence for loitering and panhandling near the 7-Eleven.

“The jury made a credibility call,” she said. “It was pretty clear to them that Mr. Cohen was telling the truth.”

A few hours after Coleman was found guilty, the second arson conviction stemming from the riots was handed down in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Byron Oswaldo Garcia, 21, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon of setting fire to a truck that was blocking the entrance to an electronics store at Santa Monica Boulevard and Vermont Avenue on April 30, the district attorney’s office said.

Garcia’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 3.