CASA GRANDE, AZ — Casa Grande police say a 30-year-old man has been arrested for arson after a devastating fire at a Jewish community center earlier this week.
Fire and police officials were called to the Khal Chasidim community center near Pinal Avenue and Florence Boulevard on Monday at 5 a.m. for reports of a fire.
Police say the center suffered “significant damage.”
Investigators linked a man named Everardo Gregorio to the fire and detained him two days later near the center.
According to court paperwork, a man believed to be Gregorio was seen on surveillance video multiple times in the area at the time of the fire. Police say nobody else was seen in the area on the surveillance video at the time.
When contacted by police on Tuesday, Gregorio appeared to be wearing the same sandals as seen on the surveillance video, according to police. When questioned, Gregorio denied involvement in the fire and said he was home and sleeping at the time.
He was taken into custody and booked into jail for arson.
The investigation is ongoing.
