An ex-con accused of igniting a fire in a rubbish bin in Jurupa Valley pleaded not guilty Friday to arson.
Daniel Hernandez Gutierrez, 40, was arrested Monday shortly after he allegedly lit a blaze near the intersection of Mennes Avenue and Mission Boulevard.
Along with the arson count, Gutierrez is charged with a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing a felony offense within five years of parole from state prison.
He was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Feb. 27 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
The defendant is being held on $30,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
According to Cal Fire, about 7:30 p.m. Monday, witnesses watched as Gutierrez allegedly torched items inside a receptacle owned by the Rubidoux Community Services District.
The fire did not spread to surrounding property and was quickly knocked down by county fire personnel, according to investigators.
The defendant remained close by and was taken into custody without a struggle by Cal Fire peace officers, authorities said.
There was no mention of a possible motive.
According to court records, Gutierrez has prior convictions for auto theft, carrying a concealed weapon and petty theft.