East Texas Man Faces Up to Life in Prison for Lufkin Fires

LUFKIN (AP) – An East Texas man who told investigators he thought people were out to get him faces up to life in prison for starting several fires in Lufkin. Stanford Jones of Lufkin was convicted Wednesday of three counts of arson. Nobody was hurt in the November 2012 fires in Lufkin blamed on Jones, who remains in custody pending sentencing. Prosecutors say Jones posted angry comments online about thinking people wanted to get him and setting a match to Lufkin. One fire happened at a bar where the 34-year-old Jones had been drinking, later got sick and ended up hospitalized. Jones told police that he believed someone drugged him. He tested positive for cocaine and marijuana while hospitalized. The fires started the day after Jones, who has previous drug convictions, was discharged.