Woman pleads guilty in Wilmington arson that left 3 firefighters dead

Woman pleads guilty in arson that left 3 firefighters dead

A Delaware woman has pleaded guilty to murder and other crimes in a residential arson that left three firefighters dead.

WILMINGTON, Del. - A Delaware woman has pleaded guilty to murder and other crimes in a residential arson that left three firefighters dead.

Beatriz Fana-Ruiz pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder, arson and assault. She faces at least 15 years in prison when sentenced in December.

Beatriz Fana-Ruiz pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder, arson and assault

Fana-Ruiz had been charged with six counts of first-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence. Her plea came just days after a judge set restrictions on expert testimony regarding whether a confession she gave investigators was false or coerced.

Lt. Christopher Leach and Senior Firefighter Jerry Fickes of the Wilmington Fire Department died at the scene of the September 2016 row house fire after the first floor of the home collapsed. Senior Firefighter Ardythe Hope was hospitalized in critical condition for several weeks before she died.