Greenwich arson suspect pleads guilty

The man accused of setting the fire that destroyed a historic building in Greenwich entered a surprise guilty plea Friday afternoon.

Mark Mulholland reports that John Fox admitted to starting the February fire that chased more than a dozen tenants from their Main Street apartment building.

Police arrested Fox after he started the fire in an apartment where he was staying and then jumped from a second-story window.

Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan says Fox faces a minimum of eight years and a maximum of 18 when he’s sentenced September 13.

“The real positive is this plea gives the tenants, many of whom lost everything, the ability to move forward with their healing. Fox’s admitting doing it was very important,” Jordan said.