Plea Deal 'Unlikely' in Case Against Alleged Apple Valley Arsonist

Attorneys in the case against 21-year-old Aaron Michael Ferrarese, the Apple Valley man who in August allegedly set fire to an Apple Valley home with six people inside, on Tuesday agreed to a settlement conference on Feb. 22.

But Dakota County prosecutor Kevin Golden told District Court Judge David Knutson a plea deal was unlikely, "because both parties are looking for diametrically opposed outcomes."

Ferrarese was charged with felony first-degree arson and misdemeanor damage to property in connection with an Aug. 26 incident in which he allegedly .

The six people inside the house at the time, , made it out of the house.

Golden said the prosecution hopes the judge will consider aggravating factors—which would make Ferrarese's sentence more harsh—while the defense is seeking mitigating ones.

Knutson apologized to the alleged victims—all of whom were in the courtroom Tuesday—for continuing the case against Ferrarese to allow more time to consider all the evidence; he had received the case file Tuesday morning after the original judge scheduled to hear the case recused herself.

Through defense attorney David Warg, Ferrarese entered a plea of not guilty and waived his right to a speedy trial.  

Knutson scheduled a jury trial for March 12.