Resident to Stand Trial for Arson in Hometel Fire
Reginald Hughes, accused of causing a fire with an unattended lit cigarette at the Sara Francis Hometel where he lived, was ordered Friday to stand trial on an arson charge.
After a one-hour preliminary hearing, San Diego Municipal Court Judge Joseph Davis bound Hughes over to Superior Court and set arraignment for Jan. 24.
According to testimony by Steve Mackiag, a fire investigator for the San Diego Fire Department, the Dec. 20 blaze, which left more than 100 homeless in downtown San Diego, started in Hughes’ room. Mackiag said the fire probably started from “dropped or discarded smoking materials.”
Hughes, 45, remains in County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
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