Honor Students Sentenced to Prison in Connecticut Arson

Three college honor students have each been sentenced to 90 days in prison for burning down a vacant warehouse in East Lyme.

Christian Bardoli, Matias Francone, and Alexander Tsuji pleaded guilty in New London Superior Court Monday to misdemeanor criminal mischief and reckless endangerment.

Police say the fire at a former J.C. Penney warehouse was set in January, 2010 while Bardoli of Vero Beach, Fla., was visiting the home of Francone, his roommate at American University in Washington, D.C. Francone and Tsuji, a UConn student, had attended East Lyme High School together.

The men told authorities they planned the arson while watching a football game, but could not explain why they did it.

Prosecutor Lawrence J. Tytla called it one of the most perplexing cases he has presided over.