One person arrested in abandoned building fire
A San Luis man is behind bars for allegedly setting a fire that destroyed an abandoned building Wednesday afternoon.
According to San Luis Fire Department spokesperson Luis Cebreros, at approximately 3:13 p.m. firefighters responded to a report of a commercial fire at 718 East F Street, which is behind the Family Dollar store.
“Heavy smoke and flames were coming from the attic indicating the fire had been burning for quite some time,” Cebreros said.
Because the roof was sagging and unstable it was too risky for firefighters to go inside they had to put the fire out from the exterior of the building.
The fire was declared under control in about 45 minutes, however, the building was a total loss.
Lt. Marco Santana, of the San Luis Police Department, said that during the course of the investigation into the cause of the fire a witness told officers that they saw a man leaving the building shortly before it had started.
Officers were later able to identify the man as Justino Hernandez Valdez, and spoke with him, after locating him still in the vicinity.
After interviewing him, officers arrested Valdez on a charge of arson of a structure or property, which is a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of criminal trespass and false reporting.
On Thursday morning Valdez made his initial appearance in South County Justice Court before Justice of the Peace Juan Guerrero, at which time bail was set as a $1,000 cash-only bond.
Valdez is scheduled to return to South County Justice Court at 11 a.m. Monday, when he will be informed whether a criminal complaint has been filed against him, and what, if any, offenses he is being charged with.