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Las Vegas man accused of setting fire to Rayne hotel room

44 others occupied building at time of fire
Posted at 3:50 PM, Oct 30, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-30 16:50:28-04

A Las Vegas man has been arrested and is facing arson charges after police say he set fire to his hotel room at a Best Western in Rayne while nearly 50 other people occupied the building.

Reginald Bonner, 23, has been booked into the Acadia Parish Jail on one count of Aggravated Arson.

Rayne Police requested the assistance of the State Fire Marshal's Office to determine the origin and cause of a fire at the Rayne hotel, located on North Polk Street, shortly before 2 p.m. on October 21. Officials say the damage was limited to one unit and had been extinguished by the sprinkler system. A total of 44 people, including guests and staff, were in the building at the time of the fire.

Deputies learned the fire was discovered in one of the rooms after a fire alarm went off. Witness statements indicate Bonner was the sole occupant of the room and had just come from the room to check out of the hotel minutes before the fire alarm activated.

After assessing the scene, SFM investigators confirmed the fire was intentionally set and that Bonner was the suspect in the case.

Rayne Police located Bonner at a nearby gas station shortly after and took him into custody. He was then booked in connection with the case.

His bond has been set at $150,000.

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