Asheville -- February 7, 2026: A man is in custody following a fire at a vacant motel on the edge of Asheville. The arrest followed an investigation into the incident, and authorities are seeking more information.
Arrest Details
Christopher Marcus Sadler, 28, was arrested early Feb. 5, 2026, and charged with first-degree arson and breaking and entering. The Asheville Police Department (APD) took Sadler into custody after officers discovered a fire he allegedly started in a vacant room at the Mountaineer Inn motel on Tunnel Road.
APD officers on foot patrol spotted the fire around 12:38 a.m. and found Sadler inside a vacant room. Officers extinguished the fire. Sadler was then taken into custody without incident.Sadler was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility and is being held without bond.
The Mountaineer Inn is located at 155 Tunnel Road. The motel was vacant at the time of the fire.
*Suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
WNCTimes