Pearl Cleaners arsonist pleads guilty, receives 9-year sentence
EVANSVILLE — The man accused of setting alight the historic Pearl Cleaners building in Downtown Evansville pleaded guilty and was sentenced Tuesday, according to court records.
Charles James Perrin, 25, pleaded guilty to arson, a Level 4 felony, and criminal mischief, a Level 6 felony, for burning down the Pearl Laundry Center in May during what investigators described as a criminal act of "self gratification."
Vanderburgh County Circuit Court Judge Robert Pigman ordered Perrin to serve nine years in the Indiana Department of Corrections during a sentencing hearing Tuesday.
Evansville police arrested Perrin on May 18 and accused him of setting the Pearl Laundry Center ablaze one day prior. At the time, IDHS investigator Levi Sims said the ensuing fire resulted in a "total loss" of the building, which is located at 428 N.W. 3rd Street.
Prior to the arson, the Pearl Laundry Center had an assessed value of approximately $445,000.
According to Evansville Police Department Officer Mario Reid, Perrin told investigators he "knowingly and intentionally" set the building on fire. Reid said Perrin used a hand torch to ignite a shopping cart filled with blankets, which subsequently ignited the surrounding structure.
During an interview with detectives, Perrin allegedly claimed he left the scene but soon returned to "admire his work." The police said Perrin received an "adrenaline rush" from setting the building on fire.
The Pearly Laundry Center had a storied and tumultuous history. In 1984, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2017, it became the subject of a lawsuit alleging the use of cleaning solvents had contaminated groundwater.
Pearl Cleaners closed the building in 2018. Before the fire, Pearl Development LLC had hoped to revamp the historic building into a commercial space. As of Perrin's sentencing, the charred remains of the Pearl Laundry Center still stand in downtown Evansville.
Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Pearl Cleaners arsonist pleads guilty, receives 9-year sentence
