A 65-year-old man has been charged with burning down his historic mansion in Burlington.
Robert A. Staton was charged Wednesday in connection to the fire, which happened last week. Staton faces charges of negligent handling of burning material, as well as two counts of felony bail jumping.
You can read the full criminal complaint here.
If convicted of the charges, Staton faces more than 12 years in prison.
The historic Meinhardt mansion was destroyed in a fire Friday, leaving community members shocked and devastated by the loss.
“It’s just sad you know,” area neighbor Mark Leemkuil said. “It’s all very sad to think what was there before, and how they’re probably going to have to tear it down now.”
Leemkuil said he was awoken early on Friday morning by sirens as Burlington Fire worked to put out the flames.
Seeing the building with major damage has been tough for people like Lynn Grieve to wrap their heads around.
Watch: Fire destroys historic home in Burlington:
Grieve was born and raised in Burlington and she said just about every area native has a memory linked to the mansion.
“We’re just all attached to it,” she said. “It’s gorgeous you know, a beautiful, beautiful house inside and out.”
On Saturday they announced Staton's arrest.
“Basically, it’s a monument,” Grieve said. “I was just here last week, admiring the Halloween decorations they had up, and then a week later it's poof!
The mansion no longer stands out for its beauty, but instead for its charred remains. The community is left only with the memories of the home's former glory.
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