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Teen gets probation in mannequin arson fire Mikal Joseph Walton Thursday May 25, 2017 at 5:12 PM May 25, 2017 at 5:52 PM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat A Medford teen was sentenced to probation Thursday after admitting to setting a mannequin head on fire in a Medford parking garage elevator with another suspect and abandoning the blaze. Mikal Joseph Walton, 18, pleaded guilty in Jackson County Circuit Court to felony second-degree arson for the fire at the Evergreen parking structure at 34 W. Eighth St. A surveillance video showed Walton mimicking a sex act with the mannequin head prior to the blaze.  Walton admitted that just before 3 a.m. May 3, after a night of drinking, he and 24-year-old Anthony Nicholas Montes started the fire near the One West Main office building.  Circuit Judge David Hoppe asked whether drugs were involved in the case or Walton "was just being stupid."  Court-appointed defense lawyer Michael Vance said the case was not a "substance abuse problem," but called his client's behavior "stupid and reckless conduct" that involved alcohol. "It was a stupid thing to do," Walton agreed. "I regret it." Hoppe sentenced Walton to 18 months' probation. As part of a negotiated plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a more serious charge of first-degree arson. If Walton complies with the terms of his probation, the crime will be reduced to a misdemeanor on his record.  Hoppe said he hoped Walton's 22 days in jail would serve as a reminder that "actions have consequences." Walton was released from the Jackson County Jail Thursday afternoon, jail records show. On May 19, Montes was sentenced to 18 months' probation after pleading guilty to second-degree arson in the crime. Walton and Montes have both been ordered to pay restitution for the damage caused to the elevator wall and floor. An exact cost has not yet been determined, though prior reports estimated the damage to be valued at more than $1,000. — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.