Just before 5 a.m. Tuesday, April 15, the University of New Mexico Police Department responded to a fire that reached five feet in height outside of the Communication & Journalism building.
The officers and Albuquerque Fire Rescue successfully extinguished the fire, according to the incident report.
At the scene, officers contacted the two suspects, who claimed they saw the fire and walked over to get warm. One suspect claimed he saw another person walking away from the fire when they arrived, according to the report.
The officers investigated security camera footage, which showed the two suspects lighting the fire against a bike vault and then grabbing more items, including Daily Lobo newspapers, to fuel the fire, according to the report.
Following a review of the video, the officers conducted a search and arrested the suspects without incident, the report reads.
The estimated value of the destroyed property is $3,000, according to the report. The suspects were charged with negligent arson, which is a third-degree felony for property damage of that value.
There was no LoboAlert sent out to students regarding the incident, according to UNMPD Lt. Tim Delgado.
“It was not an immediate danger due to the location and time of day,” Delgado wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo. “There was no interference with traffic. The fire was located in a timely manner and was extinguished by AFR. So no students, faculty or staff were endangered. Offenders are in custody.”
Jaden McKelvey-Francis is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @jadenmckelvey
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
