Ottawa woman gets 8 years for setting house on fire on Thanksgiving

An Ottawa woman pleaded guilty to setting a Thanksgiving Day fire that damaged an Ottawa residence, although no one was injured. Tekeisha White was sentenced to eight years in prison.

White, 21, of Ottawa appeared Friday in La Salle County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to residential arson, a Class 1 felony carrying a prison sentence of four to 15 years.

In exchange for her plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss a more serious count of aggravated arson, a Class X felony carrying up to 30 years in prison. The dismissal made White eligible for day-for-day good time while in custody.

With 71 days of credit for time served, White could be paroled in 2028.

White declined an opportunity to address Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. when offered a chance to speak.

She was charged after first responders were dispatched Thanksgiving Day to a residence in the 1500 block of Pine Street in Ottawa, where White had been staying.

According to open-court statements, the fire originated in a bedroom where White had been staying. When questioned by police, White admitted to using a cigarette lighter to ignite a shirt and put it against other combustible items.

White further admitted that she’d been asked to leave the residence and was unhappy with her imminent ouster.