Man suspected of torching Berkeley animal shelter arrested

Police have arrested the man they believe set fire to the Berkeley Animal Care Services shelter Saturday night, forcing the city-run facility near Aquatic Park to close and relocate all the animals living there. Police are also investigating whether the man they arrested was involved in vandalizing the shelter building by flooding it overnight Wednesday.

The 48-year-old man, arrested on suspicion of arson and several counts of cruelty to animals, is in custody at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin with his bail set at $670,000; he is scheduled for arraignment Monday, according to jail records and an announcement Thursday from the Berkeley Police Department.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has not formally charged him, according to court records.

By reviewing surveillance footage from the areas, police “determined that the suspect used a rock to break a window and then ignited the fire using an improvised incendiary device,” according to a statement from police. Detectives were able to identify the man when he returned to the area of the shelter, and was again caught on surveillance footage, Berkeley police spokesperson Officer Byron White wrote in an email.

Read more: Berkeleyside