Trial Date Set For Man Accused of Starting Fire In Downtown Riverside

RIVERSIDE, CA — A Feb. 19 trial date was set Wednesday for a transient accused of igniting a blaze that destroyed a building in downtown Riverside.

Isaac Gutierrez Avila, 42, was arrested in May 2023 with 41-year-old Pasha Sadavandi following a two-week investigation by the Riverside Police and Fire departments.

Avila is charged with arson resulting in property damage and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using an incendiary device for the purpose of arson.

During a trial-setting conference Wednesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Joshlyn Pulliam conferred with the prosecution and defense regarding scheduling, and both sides indicated they would be prepared to move forward with proceedings during the third week of February.

Avila is free on a $90,000 bond.

Sadavandi pleaded guilty in April to being an accessory to a felony and was sentenced to 24 months' probation.

According to Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback, the fire erupted shortly before 5 a.m. on May 16, 2023, at 3460 Orange St., directly across from the Riverside Convention Center.

The single-story building was city-owned and had been used as an office complex but was vacant at the time of the blaze.

Railsback said five engine crews and a truck company, numbering more than two dozen personnel, were sent to the three-alarm fire and encountered flames raging throughout the structure, prompting firefighters to abandon trying to save it and instead turn to "saving the surrounding buildings, including a nearby senior living facility."

Fire Capt. Ray Mendoza said that over a 16-hour period, "almost 6 million gallons of water were used to mitigate the fire, utilizing rotating engine crews."

"Once the visible fire was extinguished, it still took several days before a complete search inside the building for potential victims could begin due to the unstableness of the structure and smoldering areas within," Mendoza said.

No one was found in the remnants, and no injuries were reported. What was left of the building was torn down, and the property is now a vacant lot.

Railsback said the loss was estimated to be "in the millions of dollars."

Detectives and arson investigators initiated a search for evidence that ultimately led to the identification of Avila as the person allegedly at the site when the fire began, according to the police spokesman.

Sadavandi is an associate of the defendant, but his role as an accessory was not explained.

He has a prior misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving, according to court records.

Avila has no documented prior misdemeanor or felony convictions in Riverside County.

—City News Service