Los Altos police arrested a 15-year-old boy early this morning for arson after he allegedly started 10 fires in four bathrooms at Hillview Community Center sometime during the nights of Aug. 23 and 24, according to a fire official.
The suspect, a Los Altos resident whose identity is being withheld because he is a minor, reportedly set fire with his lighter to a paper-towel dispenser in a public restroom between 8 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday.
He set toilet paper, garbage cans and paper towel racks ablaze at approximately 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Firefighters extinguished the flames Wednesday before they spread to the rest of the facility, according to Jeremy Davis, arson investigator with the Santa Clara County Fire Department. The Tuesday night fire on one of the paper-towel racks died out on its own.
“It’s good that it didn’t cause any more damage,” Davis said. “It could have burned down the whole community center.”
Davis said an employee building a stage at nearby Bus Barn Theater noticed black smoke coming from one of the bathrooms and called 911.
“It would have been a very large fire if it weren’t for the person who called us,” Davis said.
The suspect faces charges of felony arson and malicious mischief, Davis said.
Firefighters located the teen at his Los Altos home and escorted him to the police department for questioning, Davis said. Police Capt. Andy Galea said officers then arrested him and sent him to juvenile hall.
Police and fire officials are still investigating the case.
