Arroyo Grande man sentenced for setting fire near furniture store

A man who set a fire near an Arroyo Grande furniture store in August has been sentenced to jail time.

According to a news release from the Arroyo Grande Police Department, David Michael Bokar, 51 of Arroyo Grande, was arrested Aug. 22 for setting a fire near R&R Furniture at 1450 W. Branch St.

Police said they found Bokar sitting to the west of the fire — which began burning near the store’s dumpsters and spread to the hillside toward neighboring hotels — that day. Surveillance footage from the area showed Bokar was involved in the arson, according to a news release.

On Wednesday, Bokar plead no contest to a felony charge of arson of a structure or forest land. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years formal probation.

This is the second Arroyo Grande arson conviction in the past week: On Wednesday, Jess Hubble, 35, of Arroyo Grande was found guilty of two felony charges of arson for setting multiple fires in November 2017. Those fires caused more than $500,000 worth of damage and injured a family pet, according to a previous Tribune report.