Man pleads not guilty to fatal fire

Clayton
Clayton

A Hot Springs man pleaded not guilty Monday in Garland County Circuit Court to felony charges stemming from allegations he started a fatal apartment fire earlier this year that claimed the life of another man.

Rayson Edward Clayton, 23, who has remained in custody since his arrest March 29, pleaded not guilty to capital murder, punishable by the death penalty or life in prison, and arson involving damages in excess of $100,000, punishable by up to life, for the March 27 fire at Polo Run Apartments, 126 Manor Lane, that caused the death of Gillibando Arellano, 48, a resident of the apartments.

Judge John Homer Wright granted a motion by the prosecution to issue a gag order limiting pretrial publicity in the case. A disposition hearing is now set for July 23. Clayton is being held in lieu of $1 million bond.

According to the probable cause affidavit on Clayton's arrest, the fire began in a common area on the first floor of the apartments shortly after Clayton's aunt, who had kicked him out of her first-floor apartment the day before, declined to let him back inside to pick up his belongings.

An acquaintance of Clayton's who was with him told police he heard Clayton threaten to "burn the place down" a few minutes before the fire started. Investigators believe the fire started with a sofa in the common area near where Clayton had been standing.

Police said there is no relation between Clayton and Arellano, who was identified April 5 through DNA testing. It is believed Arellano lived on the second floor and was overcome by toxic fumes as he tried to escape down the stairs.

Clayton was previously arrested on Jan. 17 on a felony count of possession of drug paraphernalia, which was later amended to a misdemeanor. He appeared May 3 via video in Garland County District Court and pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to one year in jail with all but 36 days suspended, the time he had served by that point.

On Sept. 25, 2014, Clayton was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana. He pleaded guilty to the charge Jan. 1, 2015, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and six months' probation. He was later charged with failure to appear and failure to comply with court orders.

Court records show that, on Feb. 23, 2015, Dayspring Behavioral Health Services in Hot Springs recommended that Clayton be committed, noting he was "extremely mentally ill." On March 6, 2015, Clayton's mother filed a petition to involuntarily admit Clayton to a facility to be treated for mental illness.

In her petition, Clayton's mother stated Clayton had threatened to kill her, himself and "others around him." She said he had told her he would "kill black people" and she noted he was "talking to himself" and "hearing voices" and refused to take his medications.

A mental evaluation hearing was held March 9, 2015, and a commitment hearing scheduled, but it was canceled four days later and his mother withdrew the petition on March 17, 2015, and the case was closed.

On March 20, 2015, he was arrested for two counts of misdemeanor assault on a family or household member which he pleaded no contest to on Nov. 5, 2015, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

According to court documents, Clayton's mother called the court clerk regarding the charges against Clayton, noting she was the victim in one of the cases and wanted to drop the charges because her son "didn't mean to do it."

She stated her son was mentally ill and "didn't need to be in jail." She said he "needs help" and "just needs his medicine," noting, "When (Clayton) is on his meds he is the most loving son a mother could have."

Local on 06/05/2018

Upcoming Events