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Iowa man found guilty of arson, involuntary manslaughter

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March 26th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted a Sioux City man of first-degree arson and involuntary manslaughter in the 2018 fire-related death of a woman. The Sioux City Journal says Robert Mahoney was convicted Tuesday in the death of 51-year-old Wanda Blake. Blake died three weeks after Mahoney torched his Sioux City apartment on Feb. 4, 2018.

Prosecutors say Mahoney was bored when he set a small fire in his apartment with bug spray and a lighter. When the fire went out, Mahoney became angry and set a second fire, which blazed out of control and damaged several units at Central Apartments.

Firefighters found Blake unconscious in a hallway. She was taken to a hospital and was recovering, but died when blood clots in her legs traveled to her lungs. Mahoney faces up to 30 years in prison when he’s sentenced May 17.