Campus police are hoping two recent arrests will put an end to the string of intentionally set fires at the University of Utah.
Two men charged Thursday in connection with the arsons did not know each other, but both set fires in the same campus building."We'd like to believe this is it," said University Police Detective Kim Beglarian. "We've had some bizarre things happening here."
Campus police have responded to 20 intentionally set fires in the past 30 days. Many were in garbage cans. Some fires were ignited in toilet stalls in men's bathrooms. Seven fires were set in one night in January.
One man arrested and charged with one count of attempted aggravated arson was a university janitor and part-time student.
"He wanted to see what police would do," Beglarian said. "It was exciting to him."
The first-degree felony charge stems from a fire set in a large garbage can inside a janitorial closet in the Engineering Mines Classroom Building, a closet the part-time student had access to.
A Salt Lake City man, 24, was also charged in 3rd Circuit Court Thursday with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony, and two counts of theft, a class B misdemeanor.
The man was not a student at the school but told Beglarian he didn't want to start fires in his own neighborhood because he was feared he would get caught.
Closed-circuit cameras helped lead to the man's arrest. He was spotted in the Alice Sheets Performing Arts Center at the same time two wallets were stolen. During an interview, he tipped off investigators.
"He admitted to starting four or five fires up here," Beglarian said. "We took him to a past fire site and he pointed out what he'd done."
The most recent fire caused $4,000 in damage to a room in the Engineering Mines Classroom Building when a large cabinet/-desk was set afire Jan. 29. The room is still being remodeled.
The man was arrested March 8 but released when prosecutors failed to file the charges within the three-day limit.
Beglarian said as many as 10 more arson charges may be filed against the part-time student. He remains in jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.