Prosecutors decided against filing charges Monday against a previously convicted arsonist arrested for allegedly setting fire to an abandoned Indio strip mall.
Fredrick John Guerra, 40, was arrested following the Friday morning blaze that caused an estimated $125,000 in damage to a 10,000-square-foot structure on Avenue 46.
The fire started just after 3 a.m. and was contained by four-dozen firefighters in just under an hour, according to Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.
Guerra, who previously pleaded guilty to arson in 2014, was booked into the Riverside County jail in Indio later that morning.
His initial court appearance was expected to be Monday afternoon in Indio, but no charges were filed, according to John Hall of the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
“Further investigation has led to a decision by our office to not file any charges against Mr. Guerra. The investigation is continuing in the case,” Hall said, without elaborating.
Riverside County court documents show that Guerra pleaded guilty in 2014 to arson of a non-dwelling for a fire at an abandoned home in the 44700 block of King Street, which caused minor injuries to a firefighter. Guerra was also charged with arson causing great bodily injury and burglary, but those counts were dismissed as part of a plea agreement in which he was given an eight-year state prison term, with credit for nearly three years of credit for time served at the time of sentencing.