A 14-year-old male was arrested and convicted for the arson of the house of Mauritania RPCV Cindy Hunter and her family
Like the protestors in Soldotna, Sam Nickels and his wife Cindy Hunter of Harrisonburg, Virginia opposed the war in Iraq. To express their opposition, they posted an anti-war sign on the front of their house. During the months after the war began, various people tore down the sign, egged their house, and committed other acts of vandalism.
In the early morning of October 20, 2003, an arsonist set fire to the sign while Nickels, Hunter, their three children, and an adult guest (a political asylum refugee from West Africa) were asleep inside the house. The fire quickly spread from the sign to the house itself. Fortunately, everyone in the house was able to escape without injury but the fire caused $60,000 in damage to the house. A 14-year-old male was later arrested and convicted for the arson.
At trial it was revealed that, although no one told him to start the fire, the 14-year-old was motivated in large part by the sign's anti-war message. Because of his age, the 14-year-old's name and court record remain sealed though it is known that he was placed on probation for an indefinite period of time. Through a victim-offender mediation program, the victims and the minor's family agreed to repair the house together.
