Police arrested a man on suspicion of arson following a fire at a religious organization near the San Francisco State University campus earlier this month.<\/p>\n
According to authorities, a fire broke out at the Hillel House on Banbury Drive around 2 p.m. on Dec. 5. The building, which serves Jewish college students in the area, was occupied at the time.<\/p>\n
No injuries were reported. San Francisco Hillel said that only staff and no students were in the building when the fire took place.<\/p>\n
Following the fire<\/a>, the organization said the building sustained significant damage to the basement, a bathroom and programming materials. The group’s Hanukkah-themed Shabbat was also canceled.<\/p>\n Police said the fire was set outside the building and damaged the structure. A preliminary investigation determined that the fire was suspicious in nature and may have been intentionally started.<\/p>\n “We know this news is unsettling. Our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of our students, staff, and community,” the organization said in its Facebook page on Wednesday<\/a>. “We are deeply grateful for the care and support we’ve received during this difficult time.”<\/p>\n During an investigation by the police department’s Arson Task Force, investigators identified a suspect who was in custody in the San Francisco County Jail for an unrelated matter. <\/p>\n The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Mitchell Hoyt of San Francisco, was booked on suspicion of causing fire to an inhabited structure and setting property on fire. <\/p>\n In a statement, San Francisco police said there is no probable cause to arrest Hoyt for a hate crime at this time.<\/p>\n