Suspect in fire that razed abandoned barracks arrested

Authorities arrested a man suspected of being behind the fire that occurred at an abandoned barracks located across Hopwood Junior High in Chalan Piao on Thursday night.

Witnesses told Saipan Tribune that police handcuffed the suspect, described as a Chuukese, as the fire was still raging on.

Investigators are also looking into the possibility that the arrested person was also behind the other fire broke that same night at an abandoned building at the defunct MGM Garment Factory.

It was not clear yet whether the suspect was still at the Department of Corrections as of yesterday. The Department of Public Safety has yet to release information about the two incidents as well as five other fire cases over the weekend. No one was reported injured in those fires.

The fire broke out at 11pm Thursday at the former barracks of Mary’s Bakery located behind Connie’s Diner. The blaze razed the one-story abandoned barracks which were made of light materials.

The fire immediately spread and burned the sports bar section of Monte Carlo Club. Firefighters prevented the blaze to transfer to other parts of the club and to Connie’s Diner.

Witnesses said prior to the fire, the suspect entered Monte Carlo, but did not order anything. After a few minutes he left and five to 10 minutes came back.

The suspect went into the restroom. After about two minutes, employees of the club learned that there was a big fire at the former Mary’s Bakery barracks located behind the club.

The suspect went out and was observed throwing rocks at the barracks that was already on fire.

After learning about the information about the man, officers arrested the suspect.

Two hours before that fire, another blaze razed an abandoned building of the former MGM Factory, which is only a few blocks away from Monte Carlo.

On Saturday night, a fire of unknown cause razed an abandoned building located beside Virtue Tailor Shop. The shop is also located a few blocks away from the former MGM.

Four other fires occurred that weekend—two houses in Chalan Kanoa, a classroom at Mt. Carmel School, and an abandoned tin house in Sugar Dock.

Last Nov. 17, three fires broke out in the same areas—San Antonio, Chalan Piao, and Chalan Kanoa.

Investigators suspected that two of those fires were intentionally set off.