LIVINGSTON COUNTY — Dennis Estruch has been found guilty of reckless endangerment by a Livingston County jury.
Estruch was originally charged with two counts, attempted arso and reckless endangerment. He was found not guilty of attempted arson.
Estruch, the former owner of Fred’s Tavern on Main Street, Mount Morris, was accused of trying to blow up the block by turning on the natural gas and smoking a cigarette while inside the building, which he had agreed to sell to developer Greg O’Connell.
The odor of gas was so strong in the streets that passerbys called the fire department and the area was evacuated. Estruch was later discovered passed out on his couch with a half used cigarette dangling from his mouth. The natural gas valve to the stove was found 3/4 of the way turned on.
Estruch faces a minimum sentence of 1-3 years in state prison and a maximum of 2 1/3 – 7. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 17th.