Man arrested after setting fire to his SLO motel room, police say

San Luis Obispo police arrested a man after he allegedly set fire to his Monterey Street motel room Sunday evening.

Christopher Donerik Avila, 47, is charged in San Luis Obispo Superior Court with felony arson of an inhabited structure and arson of property.

Police Sgt. John Villanti said a call came in at 8:09 p.m. Sunday that a guest at the Lamplighter Inn and Suites at 1604 Monterey St. was “causing a ruckus.”

A Lamplighter Inn employee who declined to be identified said the man was screaming foul language and banging on the walls. Police arrived, and upon entering the room where Avila was staying, discovered a fire had been set, Villanti said.

“Numerous items belonging to the hotel were damaged, including the furniture and carpet,” Villanti said.

Villanti said he did not have an estimated dollar amount for the fire damage.

Police arrested Avila and booked him into San Luis Obispo County Jail, where he is being held on $25,000 bail.

Avila appeared before Judge Denise DeBelleFeuille on Wednesday, where he entered an initial plea of not guilty and was assigned a public defender.

The charge of arson of an inhabited structure carries a sentence of three to eight years in state prison, while arson of property ranges from 16 months to three years. In addition, Avila faces a possible sentencing enhancement of an additional year because of a 2011 assault conviction.

This story was originally published August 3, 2017 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Man arrested after setting fire to his SLO motel room, police say."