Man sentenced in connection with Paul's Market break-in

A man accused of breaking into a local supermarket and setting fires inside the building was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison during a hearing in District Court on Aug. 19.

James D. Greenfield was sentenced to 6 1/2 years for felony burglary and five additional years for a felony count of malicious injury to property.

Each of the felony counts included a mandatory prison sentence of 1 1/2 years before he qualifies for parole. Both of the sentences will run concurrent with one another versus consecutively.

Judge Lynn Norton also ordered Greenfield to pay more than $17,000 in restitution to help pay for the damage he was convicted of committing at Paul's Market. He was also ordered to pay more than $730 in court costs.

As part of a plea agreement introduced at a hearing July 1, Greenfield pled guilty to felony burglary and malicious injury to property with the prosecutor agreeing to dismiss a separate count of first-degree arson. The arson charge would've carried a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

Greenfield was convicted of breaking into the supermarket the morning of Jan. 27 and setting at least four small fires inside the building. Security cameras in the store captured images of the suspect at the time of the crimes.

Police officers and firefighters responded to the store, located at the corner of South 2nd East and East Jackson streets, just before 2 a.m. that morning after a store employee reported that the glass entrance door was broken out. Smoke was coming from inside the store as officers arrived on scene, who then determined no one was inside.

Materials inside the store were apparently used to start the fires, according to Mountain Home assistant fire chief Bud Corbus. At least one blaze was started by the bakery department with others located near the front registers and the rear of the store.

In addition to the smoke and broken front door, there was significant damage to merchandise and equipment around the customer service area. The display cases in the store's deli and bakery departments were also shattered during the crime.

Store managers had not reported to police whether anything was taken from the local business during the incident.

Later that day, Greenfield surrendered to police, stating he was the "person of interest" in the case.

During initial questioning, he allegedly told police investigators that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident.