An Ocala middle school student has been arrested and charged with arson after a soap dispenser in one of the school’s bathrooms caught on fire on Wednesday, leading to a multi-agency response.
On Wednesday, September 17, at around 11:40 a.m., the school resource officer at Fort King Middle School (545 NE 17th Avenue in Ocala) rushed to the second floor of Building 4 after a fire alarm sounded, according to the Ocala Police Department.
While searching the floor, the school resource officer entered the boys’ bathroom and discovered that a soap dispenser was on fire. The officer sprang into action and extinguished the flames before they could spread, which avoided a “potentially catastrophic situation.”
The building was evacuated, and an investigation was launched to determine the cause of the fire.
According to OPD, a detective quickly determined that the fire had been “caused intentionally.” After reviewing video surveillance footage, collecting unspecified evidence, and speaking with the school’s staff, the detective identified a 13-year-old boy as the “main suspect” in this case.
“The student later confessed to the act,” said OPD in a media release.
The student was placed under arrest, and he is being charged with arson to an educational institution.