A Hammond man avoided prison Friday in a plea deal for setting a late lawyer’s office on fire in 2021.
Michael D. Cox, 59, said in court Friday he was trying to “stay warm” and “never intended” for it to spread. Court records indicated he was homeless at the time.
He pleaded guilty Nov. 7 to Level 4 felony arson. Under the agreement, he was sentenced to three years in Lake County Community Corrections and three years on probation.
Cox said in court he had actually used the same law firm in the early 1990s and was “very happy with (its) services”.
Defense lawyer Nicole A. Bennett represented Cox, while Deputy Prosecutor Chris Bruno was assigned. The case was before Judge Samuel Cappas.
Calumet City Police told Hammond Police around 2:30 a.m. Dec. 5, 2021, that the law office of Enslen, Enslen and Matthews, 142 Rimbach St., was ablaze.
By the time firefighters arrived, the building was fully engulfed and parts of the exterior were collapsing. The building was later declared a total loss.
At the police station, Cox, who smelled like smoke, initially denied setting the fire but then admitted he set it to stay warm, not thinking it would engulf the building since the alcove was made of brick. Because there were no pay phones nearby, he couldn’t call for help, he said.
Hammond Fire Inspector Daniel Misiak estimated damages were $600,000 for the building and $30,000 for the property inside. The cause was listed as “intentional,” according to court documents.
Attorney William Enslen was found slain in his ransacked Hobart home June 24, 2021. Jason M. Vazquez, then 38, of Hammond, was charged with Enslen’s murder Oct. 29. Senior partner Lowell Enslen, who died in 2010, once headed the law firm.
Vazquez signed a plea deal on Jan. 22. He faces 50 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 10 before Judge Natalie Bokota.
Enslen was a former Lake Superior Court pro tem judge and Dyer town attorney. Friends described the Vietnam veteran as a fitness buff who was well-liked in the legal community.
mcolias@post-trib.com
Carole Carlson contributed.
