Arson Case Outcome

Defendant Sentenced to 10 Year Prison Term and Over $75,000 in Restitution

The Washoe County District Attorney’s Office has announced that an Arson prosecution has resulted in a defendant being sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay over $75,000 in restitution. Cody Abraham Cahill, 31, from Reno, pled guilty in October to one count of 1^st Degree Arson and was sentenced late last week to the 10-year term, with parole eligibility beginning after a minimum of 3 years has been served. In addition, District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer ordered restitution in the amount of $74,136 to the victims in the case for damages caused by the fire and $1,839 to the Reno Fire Department (RFD) for suppression and investigation costs. 

The case against Cahill began in August 2019 when the RFD responded to a structure fire at an apartment complex located on Longley Lane. The fire was confined to an upstairs apartment and caused extensive damage to the building before it was extinguished. An investigation by RFD determined two fires had been intentionally set inside Cahill’s apartment with candles and paper. Cahill had been served with an eviction notice just prior to the incident and, when interviewed, he admitted to having set the fires. No occupants in the adjacent apartments were injured.  Cahill, who was in custody on an unrelated burglary charge, was ultimately booked on the arson charge and this office filed formal criminal charges against him.

At sentencing, Chief Deputy District Attorney Matt Lee argued that Cahill’s actions warranted a lengthy prison sentence. His intentional burning of an occupied apartment building disregarded human life and caused significant property damage.