A man accused of burglarizing and setting fires inside of several Kenedy residences and businesses pled guilty to five counts of burglary and two counts of arson Monday during district court and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

218th District Court Judge Stella Saxon sentenced Ansony Martinez to three state jail terms of two years each and four eight-year terms. She also ruled Martinez would serve the sentences concurrently instead of consecutively, meaning his overall prison time would be no more than eight years. He will be eligible for parole in about three years.

Martinez was apprehended by police March 9 after a resident reported suspicious activity outside her home. He was dressed in all black at the time and had a backpack with him containing several tools Kenedy Police Chief Duane DuBose said are commonly used in burglaries.

Since the arrest, police found evidence linking Martinez to the 2007 burglaries of Head to Toe February 2, Phelps Family Dentistry January 26, the arson and vandalism at the Kenedy Masonic Lodge building March 2, the December 2006 burglary of the old Rialto Theatre building, and several residential burglaries.

Police also suspect Martinez was involved in the 2007 burglary and vandalism of Stimson Furniture March 4, the smashed windows at Karnes Insurance Agency and McAda Physical Therapy January 2, and the arson of two abandoned buildings December 2006.

jjansky@thecountywide.com