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(Etowah County, Alabama) Two individuals have been arrested in connection to the recent fire at a Sardis City hotel, according to Sheriff Todd Entrekin.

“Christopher David Cantrell, 36, of Attalla, is charged with one count of first degree arson, which is a felony,” State Fire Marshal Ray Cumby said.

Cantrell allegedly started the fire, in his room, that heavily damaged the Budget Inn, on Highway 431, on April 2, 2016.

Sardis City Police Chief James Harp said, “Suresh Desai, 55, of Boaz, is charged with 26 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of duty of hotel owners, operators, etc., to maintain conditions, smoke detectors, etc., all are misdemeanors.”

Desai’s charges stem from the fact that the fire alarm and fire extinguishers inside the hotel have not been serviced in more than a year. As a hotel owner, he is required to have properly working smoke detectors in each room. However, during the course of the investigation it was discovered that many rooms did not have smoke detectors and those that did were not working.

“He knew of the items that were not up to par and did not repair them,” Chief Harp said.

Sheriff Entrekin said, “The rest of you fly-by-night hotel owners should take this event as a sign that we will be looking at you closely.”

“If it were not for three police officers from Sardis Police Department and Boaz Police Department lives would have been lost. These officers acted heroically and without thought for themselves in saving the lives of individuals inside the rooms,” Cumby said. “This horrible incident could have been worse. That hotel was a death trap.”

Cantrell is being detained in the Etowah County Detention Center on $25,000 cash bond. Desai turned himself in to Sardis City and was released on $14,500 bond.
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