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The Albert Lea man who drove the get-away vehicle for a group of others who lit a garage on fire on Garfield Avenue in October 2023 was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days in jail, a stayed prison term, supervised probation and community service.

Kaden James Ashenfelter, 23, pleaded guilty in September to a charge of second-degree arson as part of a plea agreement. He initially was charged with aid and abet first-degree arson in the case.

According to online court records, Ashenfelter’s jail sentence will be served as work release, and he must complete 200 hours of community service, 50 of which must be with the Albert Lea Fire Department. His probation will be in place for five years, and if he violates that probation, he could have to serve 18 months in prison.

Court records state Ashenfelter was with Haily Merrill, Kolten Wright and a juvenile on Oct. 6, 2023, in his vehicle when they first drove to Wright’s house to obtain what he later learned to be lighter fluid.   

On the way to the Garfield residence, he overheard the other three talk about getting revenge. When they arrived at the residence, the other three got out of the vehicle while he stayed in the car.

While they were there, Merrill was to be the lookout while Wright and the juvenile set the garage on fire.

The juvenile reportedly took the lighter fluid from Wright and doused the cushion with lighter fluid, before Wright allegedly doused the blankets. Wright then reportedly got his lighter out and lit a brown paper bag and put it down on the lighter fluid, and it caught fire.   

Wright said the juvenile ran out of the garage before he lit the fire.