Delta man pleads guilty to high school arson

A Delta man is set to be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty Monday to felony arson, burglary and stealing charges in connection with a fire at Delta High School that heavily damaged the institution's main office space in August.

Jeriel M. Brooks, 19, will be sentenced March 28 by Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Lewis. Lewis ordered a sentencing assessment report after Brooks' plea Monday.

Brooks was charged in October with arson and felony stealing after admitting to officers of his involvement with the Delta High School fire. He said he stole $20 to $30, several DVDs and CDs, and set fire to the school's office by dropping a lit cigarette into a pile of papers.

Brooks was in jail at the time of his confession on charges of burglary, which accuse him of breaking into a Whitewater home and stealing a safe and a briefcase.

Pertinent address:

100 Court St., Jackson, MO

324 N. Liberty St., Delta, MO