MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A handyman hired by a Miami Beach hotel is accused of intentionally starting a fire at his workplace.
According to an arrest report, the fire was reported Wednesday at the Riu Florida Beach Hotel, located at 3101 Collins Ave.
Miami Beach police said officers and firefighters responded to the hotel after receiving a report about an active fire on the seventh floor of the building.
According to authorities, the fire was extinguished, but caused damage to the seventh floor flooring and walls, as well as smoke damage to some of the rooms.
The entire hotel was evacuated after the fire was started.
According to the report, police discovered that a handyman at the hotel, Orlando Castillo-Ochiong, 34, of Miami Beach, had been assigned to that floor that day to conduct some drywall work.
The hotel manager informed police that Castillo-Ochiong had been employed by the company for about three months and does general handyman work throughout the hotel.
Police reviewed surveillance video from the hotel and said they saw Castillo-Ochiong handling some bedsheets before lighting the sheets on fire.
Police said the initial fire extinguished on its own, but Castillo-Ochiong lit it on fire once again and then walked over to an area where he was no longer on camera.
According to the report, the hotel manager confirmed that Castillo-Ochiong’s assignment for the day had nothing to do with any type of fire handling.
Both the manager and Castillo-Ochiong’s supervisor told officers that they believed the fire was intentionally set.
According to the arrest report, after being detained, Castillo-Ochiong invoked his right not to speak with detectives. He was arrested on a first-degree arson charge.
As of Thursday afternoon, Castillo-Ochiong was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he was being held on an immigration hold.