UNITED STATES NEWS

Conn. man convicted in fatal arson case

Apr 19, 2013, 12:00 AM | Updated: 12:00 am

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – A 26-year-old Connecticut man has been convicted of three counts of arson resulting in death for an apartment fire that killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy.

Hector Natal was convicted Thursday by a federal court jury in New Haven. His father Hector Morales was convicted of being an accessory after the fact. They were both convicted of witness tampering and drug charges.

The fire killed 42-year-old Wanda Roberson, her 8-year-old son, Quayshawn and her 21-year-old niece, Jaqueeta Roberson. Authorities say Natal set the fire in a drug dispute with another person in the New Haven building.

The defense tried to challenge the credibility of a prosecution witness who secretly recorded statements by Natal.

Wander Roberson’s cousin tells The New Haven Register reports (
http://bit.ly/Zvnbm2) her family is “overwhelmed” by the verdict.

___

Information from: New Haven Register,
http://www.nhregister.com

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Conn. man convicted in fatal arson case