SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. – A Suffolk County woman convicted of setting fires at multiple homes in Hampton Bays and attempting an armed robbery was sentenced Tuesday to 18 years in prison, prosecutors said.
Amanda Burnside, 42, of East Quogue, was found guilty of arson and attempted arson for trying to set fire to three homes in November 2023, one of which was occupied by four people. Prosecutors said she poured gasoline on a wicker bench and ignited it using burning papers before being arrested by Southampton Town police.
Just hours after being released from custody following her arraignment, Burnside entered a Dollar Tree store in Hampton Bays, grabbed a knife, and demanded money from a cashier. Officers arrived and arrested her at the scene.
Burnside was convicted on January 27 of arson and attempted arson charges. On February 25, she pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to run concurrently with the 18-year arson sentence.
“Suffolk will not tolerate arson and violence,” District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said in a statement.