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Stiff Sentence For Man Who Set Detroit Apartment Fire

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A Detroit man has been sentenced to prison for setting a fire that forced multiple residents of a city apartment building to jump to safety.

The Wayne County prosecutor's office said 33-year-old Terrell Thornton was sentenced in Wayne County Circuit Court on Wednesday.  A judge gave Thornton 25 to 50 years for attempted murder and 10 to 20 years for arson. He was also ordered to pay restitution.

The multi-unit building on Springle Street, near Mack and Conner on the city's east side, was set on fire on Aug. 9.

Seven people were forced to leap from second-floor windows to the ground last year to escape smoke and flames. Some suffered burns. Others were injured from their falls.

Thornton was arrested later that month in Kentucky.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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