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A Redwood City man is accused of setting a fire to two mattresses inside a Marymount apartment on Saturday, Nov. 1, sparking a blaze that forced the evacuation of the Marshall Street complex, according to prosecutors.
Eliaser Hernandez-Valadez, 35, allegedly asked an apartment occupant of 1321 Marshall St. for a lighter just before 8 a.m. and then set fire to the mattresses inside the unit, causing about $10,000 in damage, San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe said in press notes released this week.
Hernandez-Valadez, who is on felony probation for burglary and auto theft, had reportedly been “acting strangely” for days, according to the notes.
A large fire erupted and the Redwood City Fire Department evacuated the apartment complex. According to the Redwood City Police Department, three apartment units sustained fire and water damage but no immediate injuries were reported. All residents were safely evacuated from the building.
Hernandez-Valadez fled the scene but was found by Redwood City police located him a short time later and arrested him. The district attorney’s office noted that “drug use and mental health issues were quickly apparent” at the time of the arrest.
Late Saturday morning, activity appeared to have been concentrated in the complex’s rear parking area, near the garage stalls and dumpster enclosure. One parking space in that lot was being cleaned out, and a distinct odor consistent with burned rubber or gasoline lingered. No visible scorch marks or structural damage were apparent from outside the parking area, and no smoke was observed at the time.
The case has been set in the Redwood City Felony Court, with arraignment by Judge Jeffrey B. Jackson. For the third time, the press report noted, Hernandez-Valadez refused to leave jail and come to court, failing to appear at all in this case.
Under Penal Code section 977(D), the court proceeded in his absence and entered a plea of not guilty to the single charge. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 19.
The 35-year-old remains in custody on $100,000 bail and will be represented by the Private Defender Program, which provides counsel to individuals financially eligible for counsel at public expense.
