[Sahuarita, AZ - Apr. 11, 2023] - At 10:30 this morning, Sahuarita Officers responded to Sahuarita Middle School for the report of a 13-year-old male that set a trash can on fire on school grounds. At 7:45 AM, before the first school bell rang, a student reported smoke coming from a cement trash can located near a tree outside of a school building. A school janitor was able to put the fire out before the fire became larger. There were no injuries reported and only the trash can was damaged.
School personnel reviewed security footage and identified a witness and suspect. It was discovered that the suspect set a piece of paper on fire, and then put that paper in the trash can before leaving. When the student was identified, school staff reported the incident to police.
A Sahuarita Officer arrested the juvenile for arson of property, a class 5 felony. The juvenile was booked into the Pima County Juvenile Court Center.
Sahuarita Police arrested this same suspect for lighting a piece of paper on fire on a school bus in January of this year. In that incident, the suspect was arrested for disorderly conduct.
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to report it to Sahuarita Police by calling 911 or the Sahuarita Tip Line at 520-445-7847.