Ogden City police have taken a 16-year-old male into custody for his alleged role in setting fire to an apartment complex under construction on January 25, which also caused damage to an adjacent charter school. According to KSL Newsradio, authorities have booked the teenager into the Weber Valley Youth Detention Center on multiple second-degree felony charges including arson, causing catastrophe, and criminal mischief.
During a Tuesday evening press conference, Police Chief Jacob Sube stated, "The 16-year-old was identified as a suspect following an investigation that revealed the fire was intentionally set." This was reported by KSL Newsradio, which also noted that the incident prompted a response from over 40 firefighters to the scene. The fire had spread from the five-story building to an adjacent vacant building, creating a more significant challenge for the emergency teams battling the blaze.
No injuries have been reported, but the fire resulted in a total loss to the construction site and affected operations at the DaVinci Academy. FOX 13 reported that the academy, a charter school located next to the construction site, sustained damage as well as a result of the fire. The specific extent of this damage has not yet been publicly detailed.
