Two teens arrested in blaze that gutted center
Fire was not intentional, resulted from ‘ foolish act,’ according to authorities
MILLBRAE — Two teenage boys have been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with starting a four-alarm fire that destroyed a popular community center last week, but authorities were quick in saying the pair did not mean to start the blaze.
“At this stage of the investigation, the evidence gathered suggests that the juveniles did not intend to deliberately set the community center on fire and suggests a foolish act of reckless behavior,” the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement
Sheriff’s Detective Salvador Zuno reaffirmed that position at a news conference Monday afternoon, saying “this incident was due to negligence and was not intentional.”
The Sheriff’s Office, working with Central County Fire investigators and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, on Friday arrested the two boys, who are 17 and 16 years old and live in Millbrae. Because they are minors, authorities did not release their names.
It was not immediately clear whether the two boys had ties to the community center, nor did authorities specify the alleged “negligence,” such as smoking or fireworks.
Mayor Anne Oliva lauded the multiagency investigation that led to the arrests and similarly cautioned against drawing conclusions about the teen suspects.
“At this time, I ask that we refrain from making any brash judgments,” Oliva said.
The suspects, who were booked into the San Mateo Youth Services Center, have
no known criminal history, Zuno said. He added that during their interrogation Friday afternoon, the boys apparently “gave enough information to make detectives comfortable with making the arrests,” and that the arrest announcement was made in part because “we didn’t want (the public) to think there is a serial arsonist in Millbrae.”
The intense fire was reported at 3:52 a.m. Thursday at 477 Lincoln Circle. Firefighters needed more than four hours to bring it under control. The fire began in a courtyard before working its way up under eaves and eventually into the Millbrae Community Center’s attic space, where the blaze spread rapidly.
Not long after the fire was brought under control, fire officials suspected arson in part because charring patterns indicated the fire started on the building’s exterior. The ensuing investigation, which was fueled in part by public tips and social-media leads, led to the identification of the suspects within about 24 hours.
No injuries were reported, and the building, which hosted both food collection as well as an array of art and music programs, particularly for seniors and children, was deemed a total loss. City officials, including the mayor, have vowed to rebuild the facility — for which some estimates were as high as $2 million — and community leaders and organizers spent the past few days relocating activities and services, including a children’s camp that was moved to nearby Taylor Middle School.
A city meeting scheduled for Aug. 8 will be geared toward hearing ideas for a rebuilding plan.
“Going forward, we definitely have our hands full with that,” Oliva said. “We’ve had the opportunity to join forces and we’re going to get through this.”
Anyone with information about the fire can contact Detective Pat Carey at 650-259-2321 or pcarey@smcgov.org, or leave an anonymous tip at 800-5472700.