Cal Fire identified a suspect in four recent arson attacks on the UC Berkeley campus and authorities made an arrest Monday, the agency said.
Casey Goonan, 34, of Oakland, was arrested on suspicion of the “firebombing of a UC Berkeley Police Department vehicle and three other arson attacks on campus during June,” according to Cal Fire.
Goonan is being held in the Alameda County Jail on $1 million bail and faces multiple felony charges, including possession and use of destructive devices and arson.
The investigation involved the FBI, UC Berkeley police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Cal Fire State Fire Marshal’s Office had been investigating two reported arson fires at UC Berkeley after small fires at a construction site and a campus building burned within days of each other.
A fire occurred in Koshland Hall on the northwest side of campus and was reported to university police on Thursday; Another small fire broke out at the construction site of the Dwinelle annex building on Sunday. There was no damage or injuries, according to UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof.
Mogulof could not confirm whether the two incidents are related to online posts by an anonymous pro-Palestine group that declared a “week of action” to protest the development of People’s Park and police treatment of protesters at UC Santa Cruz and UCLA. Cal Fire did not mention any motive associated with Goonan’s alleged crimes.
Individuals posted on Indybay, an independent news service where anyone can post articles, set fire to a campus building, bombed a university police vehicle, and committed arson at a construction site “in broad daylight.” , among other actions.
It is unclear whether the individuals are students or are associated with pro-Palestinian groups on campus.
The California Health and Safety Code states that Cal Fire’s State Fire Marshal investigates all fires or attempted fires at state institutions, including public university campuses such as UC Berkeley.
Arson is also covered by the Clery Act, a federal law that requires colleges to report certain violent crimes on or near their campuses as a condition of participating in federal financial aid programs.
