Nov. 19--The criminal trial for the Eau Claire man accused in the Aug. 10 arson that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the Quality Inn on West Clairemont Avenue has been moved to 2009.

Brian M. Mroch's trial was set to begin Monday but has been rescheduled for March 25-26.

Mroch's attorney, public defender Laurie Osberg, asked for a new trial date because she's still receiving police reports from prosecutors and a defense expert witness wasn't available until next year.

Mroch, 26, has pleaded not guilty to a felony count of arson of a building.

He remains free on a $5,000 signature bond.

According to the criminal complaint and Eau Claire police:

A bartender at O'Leary's Pub, which is in the same complex as the hotel, told police Mroch was drinking at the bar on Aug. 10. When Mroch decided to leave, he couldn't pay his tab.

The bartender held Mroch's driver's license and credit card until he returned. When he returned, Mroch still was unable to pay his full tab, so the bartender asked him to leave the tavern.

Police say Mroch was angry because the bartender had poured out his beer before he returned.

The bartender followed Mroch out of the tavern because she was concerned about his behavior. She saw Mroch enter a small room near the hotel lobby and remain there for several minutes.

The bartender then returned to the tavern.

A few minutes later, a desk clerk from the Quality Inn ran into the tavern to report the building was on fire.

Fire officials told police the blaze appeared to originate from the small room described by the bartender and that it did not appear to be accidental.

During an interview with police, Mroch said he splashed a bottle of paint thinner on a tire in the small room before igniting it with his lighter.

About 50 guests were displaced that night and the hotel was shut down for several days.

Holtz can be reached at 833-9207, 800-236-7077 or dan.holtz@ecpc.com.

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