LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Almost two years after both of her coffee shops were set on fire, owner Heaven McKinney said she can finally rest easy.
Last week, 50-year-old Trent Tyrone Smith was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for setting fire to both locations of her business, The Grind Coffee Bistro. According to the Office of the U.S. Attorney, the sentence is based on both his crimes in this case as well as his history with violence.
The sentence has McKinney resting easier.
“It took a lot of weight off my shoulders, and opened up a new light to the dream,” she said.
Little Rock man given 20 years in federal prison after setting fire to two coffee shops
In March of 2022, fire crews responded to two different fires in the same night. Both locations were owned by McKinney.
The business owner said Smith is a former boyfriend who targeted her after a break-up.
In the last two years, McKinney said she has tried to move on from the past, but there was always a worry that Smith would get a shorter sentence.