A Vancouver man who allegedly set fire to his girlfriend’s apartment made a first court appearance Monday.
Christian Ivan De Anda Lopez, 31, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of first-degree arson and third-degree malicious mischief, according to court records. His bail was set at $20,000 by Clark County Superior Court Judge Suzan Clark.
A Clark County sheriff’s deputy responded around 5:30 a.m. Sunday to an apartment at 403 N.E. 63rd St. There, a woman told the deputy that her boyfriend, De Anda Lopez, had destroyed the residence, the affidavit said. The woman was not home at the time.
The deputy found that a porch had been set on fire — and burn marks on the north side of the apartment complex. A deck was partially scorched, a workout machine was partly melted and the outside wall was burned to the point that the paint started to bubble, according to the affidavit.
Fire personnel responded after about five neighbors had extinguished the blaze, the affidavit said.
Additionally, items in the residence were strewn about on the floor, a queen-sized mattress and frame were flipped on its side, and a mirror was broken, according to the affidavit. The deputy estimated the damage to the apartment to be about $500, and $250 for the damaged items, the affidavit said.
De Anda Lopez previously told his girlfriend’s sister he was going to set the apartment on fire, the affidavit said. He reportedly had become jealous because she wasn’t answering her phone, according to the affidavit.
Another deputy later found De Anda Lopez’s car after conducting an area check near Evergreen Boulevard. Before the deputy made contact with him, the victim said over text she was on the phone with De Anda Lopez and that he admitted to breaking her belongings and setting her apartment on fire out of anger, the affidavit said.
De Anda Lopez was arrested shortly after. He admitted to setting a charcoal bag on fire, and throwing items into the mirror, according to the affidavit.
“Post Miranda, Christian advised he set the apartment on fire out of ‘anger’ and he wanted ‘attention,’ ” the affidavit reads. “Christian was aware there were other occupants housed in (the) apartment complex that may have been hurt.”
De Anda Lopez’s next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.