Wenatchee Man Gets Five Months In Jail For Squilchuck April Arson

A 47-year-old Wenatchee man accused of intentionally setting fire to a camper trailer in the Squilchuck area in April will serve five months in jail. 

Cory Presby pleaded guilty to second-degree arson in a plea deal offered by prosecutors. 

Presby fled into the surrounding mountains after setting fire to his ex-girlfriend's trailer. 

He was arrested by deputies after he called 911 to be rescued from cold and windy weather in the wilderness.  

Presby will serve five months in jail followed by 18 months of community custody including mental health treatment. 

Chelan County Superior Court Judge Kristin Ferrera signed off on the plea deal. 

On April 16, Chelan County Sheriff's deputies and crews with the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department were sent to the 10 block of Cloud Cap Lane at around 3:30 p.m. where they found a trailer fully engulfed in flames. 

The trailer's lone occupant - who got out safely, also reported the fire had been purposefully set by her ex-boyfriend. 

Deputies launched a search for Presby, who they believed had fled into the surrounding mountains. 

A drone and a helicopter were used in a search for him, but deputies were not able to locate him at the time. 

Presby then called RiverCom and said he was lost and cold because temperatures had dropped and the wind had picked up. Deputies ended up finding him sitting on the deck area of a new construction home about three-quarters of a mile away from the scene of the reported arson. 

They say Presby did not confess to the crime or admit to having any association with the fire or the victim. 

He received medical aid and was provided shelter at the scene before being booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center  

Presby was originally charged with 1st Degree Arson and Violation of a Court Order - Domestic Violence. His ex-girlfriend had secured a restraining order against him on April 15. Presby has a no-contact order for the duration of his sentence and community service.