A man who pleaded guilty to Arson last week in Bulloch County is awaiting further action from U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE).
39-year-old Hector Hernandez was arrested for Arson in the 1st Degree by the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office in December 2023, three days after he set fire to a home on Sandpiper Drive in Country Lakes Estates. Superior Court Judge Lovett Bennett denied Hernandez’s request in January 2024 at the state’s request, citing his risk of fleeing from Bulloch County and him posing a threat to the community.
The issue, in part, was Hernandez’s legal status in the United States.
A month later, a grand jury returned a True Bill of Indictment for Hernandez on two counts of Arson in the 1st degree – one count for each occupant of the home. Arson carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, meaning Hernandez faced 40 years for his charges.
Last week, represented by the Public Defender’s Office, Hernandez entered a guilty plea in Bulloch County Superior Court, admitting guilt on both counts.Â
Hernandez was sentenced to serve 170-180 days in a Probation Detention Center followed by 20 years probation. He was given credit for time served in the Bulloch County Jail while awaiting adjudication in court, which totaled 331 days.
As a condition of his sentence, Hernandez was also ordered to:
- Avoid contact with the two listed victims
- Waive his 4th Amendment rights
- Provide a DNA sample
- Submit bodily specimens for testing
- Undergo an evaluation for substance abuse
- Adhere to a curfew while on probation
- Avoid use or being in presence of alcohol & drugs
- Avoid violation of additional laws
- Avoid carrying a firearm
Hernandez remains behind bars at the Bulloch County Jail awaiting PDC processing and the hold for U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement. Once the PDC processing is complete, if ICE does not eventually assume custody, local law enforcement is required to release the individual.
