Former pastor gets prison for stalking girlfriend

The former minister of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Vacaville was sentenced last week to eight years in prison for stalking his former girlfriend and the arson of her Vacaville home.

Mark Wayne Lewis, 40, pleaded no contest to the charges on Jan. 15, three days after his trial started in Solano County Superior Court, Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abrams said. He was sentenced on Feb. 18, she said.

Lewis faced a 14-year prison term and the prosecution and the victim wanted a longer sentence, Abrams said. Retired Judge Dwight Ely accepted the plea agreement and indicated he would sentence Lewis to the eight-year term, Abrams said.

The stalking occurred between Dec. 1, 2013 and Jan. 9, 2014, and the arson of Sarah Nottingham’s home on Chateau Circle occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2014. No one was injured when a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the residence and damage to the home was minor.

Six people, including three children, were asleep at the time, Vacaville police said. Lewis was arrested at the church at 3321 Farrell Road on Jan. 9, 2014. Three people who were found in a rented vehicle after the arson also were arrested in connection with the incident.

Kristin A. Broyles, 31, of Citrus Heights, and Anthony Newbolt, 34, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty to being an accessory. Broyles was sentenced to 16 months in prison and Newbolt will be sentenced March 30.

Police said Broyles and Newbolt were staying at the church because they were homeless. Richerd Wright, 29, of Sacramento, faces a trial on March 17 for arson of an inhabited structure and possession of a flammable or explosive material. Wright wanted revenge because Nottingham ended their relationship in late 2013, according to the prosecution.