HOOD RIVER - The Vancouver teenager sat Friday in a cavernous courtroom between his lawyers, watched and listened as a parade of people harmed by the furious wildfire he started in the Columbia River Gorge last summer talked of their fear and loss.
One spoke of being trapped overnight on the Eagle Creek trail, another told of suffering devastating financial setbacks to a small Cascades Locks tribal fishing business and a woman described how the fast-moving fire destroyed all her family's possessions when their home burned to the ground.
Then it was the 15-year-old boy's turn.
Referred to only by his initials A.B., the dark-haired teen stood, holding a white sheet of paper in his shaking hand and read from a typed, three-paragraph statement. His parents sat behind him, listening to a court-certified Russian interpreter on headphones.
"Everytime I heard people talk about the fire, I put myself down. I know I will have to live with my bad decision for the rest of my life, but I have learned from this experience and will work hard to help rebuild the community in any way that I can," he said, his voice steady.
Source : oregonlive
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