Woman gets 45 months for 2016 motel fire that killed 4

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A woman was sentenced to 45 months in prison after pleading guilty to 9 charges in a Newport motel fire that killed 4, injured 3 and displaced 50 on Aug. 5, 2016.

Rebecca Sinclair, according to the Newport Police Department, plead guilty to 4 counts of reckless endangering another, one county of reckless burning and criminally negligent homicide.

“It’s horrible. It’s a tragic event.”

An investigation by the State Fire Marshall and the Newport Fire Department concluded Sinclar dropped a lit cigarette on the bed of her City Center Motel room. Sinclair, whom an investigation determined was not under the influence, opened her door and sought assistance, causing the fire to spread quickly.

“We got out of our hotel room because we heard people screaming at like 6 in the morning, ‘break a window or smash the window’ and let’s go come on,” Liliana Bodiou said in 2016. “They were just screaming.”

Four people in rooms directly above Sinclar’s room were killed. The motel was destroyed.

“It’s horrible. It’s a tragic event,” said Lt. Jason Malloy with the Newport Police Department in 2016. “It doesn’t matter how big or small the city. We’re a coastal community, we thrive on tourism and it’s sad that it resulted like this.”

Sinclar accepted a plea deal with the Lincoln County District Attorney’s office.