Police: Man Set Fire To Books Inside St. Cloud Library
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 47-year-old St. Cloud man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly setting books on fire inside a library in St. Cloud, according to police.
Authorities responded just before 1 p.m. to a fire complaint at the Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud. An employee called 911 to report that a man was setting books on fire on the second floor of the library.
When officers arrived, they located the suspect near the entrance of the library and took him into custody. He was identified as Jorge Ozornia.
According to the St. Cloud Police Department, the incident was reported to the librarian by a patron. When the librarian went to check on the situation they found Ozornia tearing pages out of a book and feeding a fire that was burning on a seat of a chair cushion.
Fire crews were able to contain the blaze to some furniture and books, and it was quickly put out. The fire was contained to a reading alcove on the second floor near the north wall.
Authorities say the library had to be evacuated during the incident, but nobody was hurt. Library staff made the decision to close for the day.
Ozornia was booked into the Stearns County Jail on suspicion of first-degree arson.