Iowa City man accused of starting fire in hotel

A 47-year-old Iowa City man is facing a first-degree arson charge after police say he lit a mattress on fire inside a room at the Hampton Inn on Sunday evening.

Officers at 6:45 p.m. responded to the Iowa City hotel at 4 Sturgis Corner Drive after a woman called to report being on the phone with a suicidal man who had lit a mattress on fire, according to a criminal complaint.

Iowa City police and firefighters responded and reported finding Chad William Clark alone in the hotel room, which was filled with smoke. Firefighters determined the smoke alarm had been disabled, according to the complaint.

The woman who reported the fire told investigators that Clark, while talking on the phone to her, said he had set the mattress on fire and “was in a bad place” and was going to “take himself,” according to police.

Clark was booked into the Johnson County Jail at 10:30 p.m. Sunday and remained there Monday in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

First-degree arson is a class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison.

Clark has a long criminal history in Johnson County , including numerous convictions for alcohol violations and domestic assault.

The Hampton Inn has 114 rooms, plus meeting and event space and a restaurant.