Man sentenced in Berkeley Animal Shelter arson case

The man who set fire to the Berkeley Animal Shelter in June is headed to state prison. Peter Taraba, 48, was sentenced to 16 months. The incident forced the shelter to close for two months. Surveillance video showed him using a rock to break the window of the shelter, and then sparking the fire using an “improvised incendiary device.” Investigators say police seized Taraba’s dog the day before the fire and then arrested him when he returned to the shelter the next day. No animal was hurt, and the shelter has been reopened.