Suspected arsonist arrested after tossing cigarette butt in KDMC trashcan

Smoking on hospital grounds is restricted throughout the U.S. and trashcans shouldn't be used as an ashtray.  

One Tulare man learned that the hard way and could face criminal action for lighting up at a local hospital. 

Around 9 a.m. Monday, Visalia police were called to Kaweah Delta Medical Center in downtown Visalia. Hospital staff told officers a man threw a cigarette into a restroom trashcan and ran away when the spark lit a fire.   

The flames were quickly extinguished by an employee who walked into the restroom after the suspect left, according to Visalia Sgt. Jon Pree.

Witnesses helped police identify the suspect as Juan Rayo-Lopez, 29. After identifying Rayo-Lopez, he was found and arrested in Tulare. 

During the incident, there was "no disruption of normal hospital activities," Pree said.  

Rayo-Lopez was booked Monday afternoon into Tulare County Pretrial Facility on suspicion of arson. He's since bailed out. 

Tobacco use is one of the major causes of death and disease in the U.S., accounting for roughly 480,000 deaths annually. 

Secondhand smoke also contributes to the death toll, accounting for 38,000 deaths due to lung cancer and another 40,000 heart disease-related deaths among non-smokers in the U.S. each year, according to the Center for Disease Control. 

Sheyanne Romero covers Tulare County public safety, local government and business for the Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register newspapers. Follow her on Twitter @sheyanne_VTD. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.