The man who was charged with arson after being seen leaving a vacant historic Pasadena house before the property caught fire last week has pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Kristoffer Eugene Caldwell, 38, a Pasadena resident, faced Pasadena Superior Court Tuesday for his arraignment. He was earlier charged with one count of arson of an uninhabited structure for the August 1 blaze, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said.
The house is the 131-year-old Victorian-style home at 30 W. Mountain Street, which last year also caught fire in another suspected arson. No suspect has been arrested in connection with that first fire, which caused $1.4 million in damage.
The house, in foreclosure and owned by US Bank, was considered by City officials to be a total loss after the August 1 blaze and is now a public hazard.
Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said the remains of the structure need to be demolished, and the City plans to work with the owner to get that done as soon as possible.
Caldwell was arrested August 2 after witnesses told police he was seen in the building just before it caught fire. Police said he was again seen on the scene and detained. He is being held in lieu of $310,000 bail.