HOT SPRINGS -- A man pleaded innocent Monday in Garland County Circuit Court to felony charges that he started a fatal apartment fire earlier this year that claimed the life of another man.
Rayson Edward Clayton, 23, of Hot Springs has remained in custody since his arrest March 29. He pleaded innocent to capital murder, punishable by the death or by life in prison, and arson involving damages in excess of $100,000, punishable by up to life in prison.
The charges were related to the March 27 fire at Polo Run Apartments, 126 Manor Lane, that caused the death of Gillibando Arellano, a 48-year-old resident.
Judge John Homer Wright granted a motion by the prosecution to issue a gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case, and a disposition hearing was set for July 23. Clayton is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the fire began in a common area on the first floor of the apartments shortly after Clayton's aunt, who had kicked him out of her first-floor apartment the day before, declined to let him back inside to pick up his belongings.
An acquaintance of Clayton's who was with him told police that he heard Clayton threaten to "burn the place down" a few minutes before the fire started, according to the affidavit. Investigators believe the fire started with a sofa in the common area near where Clayton had been standing.
Police said there is no relation between Clayton and Arellano. It is believed Arellano lived on the second floor and was overcome by toxic fumes as he tried to escape down the stairs.
Clayton was previously arrested Jan. 17 on a felony count of possession of drug paraphernalia, which was amended to a misdemeanor. He appeared May 3 via video in Garland County District Court, pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to one year in jail with all but 36 days suspended.
On Sept. 25, 2014, Clayton was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana. He pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 1, 2015, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and six months' probation. He was later charged with failure to appear and failure to comply with court orders.
Court records show that on Feb. 23, 2015, Dayspring Behavioral Health Services in Hot Springs recommended that Clayton be committed, noting he was "extremely mentally ill." Clayton's mother filed a petition March 6, 2015, to involuntarily admit Clayton to a facility to be treated for mental illness.
In her petition, Clayton's mother stated that Clayton had threatened to kill her, himself and "others around him." She said he had told her he would "kill black people" and she noted he was "talking to himself" and "hearing voices" and refused to take his medications.
A mental evaluation hearing was held March 9, 2015, and a commitment hearing scheduled, but it was canceled four days later. His mother withdrew the petition March 17, 2015, and the case was closed.
On March 20, 2015, he was arrested for two counts of misdemeanor assault on a family or household member, which he pleaded no contest to Nov. 5, 2015, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
State Desk on 06/05/2018