Drake T. Hansen, 19, of North Palm Beach, pleaded guilty to multiple arson charges connected to three vehicle fires—one in August 2024 and two in January. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office dropped charges for property damage with a destructive device. Hansen was sentenced to 364 days in jail, with four days credited for time served, along with five years of probation and court costs, according to WPBF.
The vehicles belonged to people Hansen knew, with motives tied to personal disputes. At the time, Hansen was a student at William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens. Court records cited by CBS12 state that Hansen was designated as a youthful offender and is prohibited from contacting the victims or their property.
Elvis Reyes, 18, who Hansen identified as an accomplice in the earlier incidents, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to two counts of second-degree arson. Reyes, a Palm Beach Central High School student, was sentenced to 10 days in jail with time served, six years of probation, 150 hours of community service, and restitution.
According to Palm Beach Gardens Police Department reports, Reyes admitted that the first two fires were set in retaliation for a physical altercation involving his younger brother. The third fire, involving a white Volkswagen Jetta, was reportedly started after a personal dispute with Hansen.
