A man arrested on suspicion of arson in the July 17 fire that caused millions of dollars in damage to Salpointe Catholic High School has no known affiliation with the school, school officials said Monday.
Arson investigators from the Tucson Police Department and the Tucson Fire Department, with evidence collected at the scene, identified 26-year-old Forrest Harris as a suspect in the arson, police said in a news release Sunday.
Harris was found Saturday near North Country Club Road and East Grant Road, and after investigators interviewed him, he was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of arson of an occupied structure, third-degree burglary and criminal damage, police said.
The fire, reported at about 9 p.m. July 17, caused what police have described as significant damage to the southeastern building of the school at 1545 E. Copper St. No injuries were reported.
Authorities had not disclosed prior to the arrest that they determined arson to be the fire’s cause.
The motive for the arson “is undetermined at this time,” Salpointe officials said in a news release Monday.
The fire destroyed the 700 English wing of the school and caused smoke, water and electrical damage to several other campus buildings.
“Expenses related to the fire are expected to be in the millions, and insurance will cover remediation and replacement costs,” Salpointe’s news release said.
The six classrooms destroyed will be temporarily replaced by modern modular classrooms. The school will be approved for safe occupancy before the first day of school on Aug. 15 for Salpointe’s 1,250 students, school officials said.
The Casa Grande Dispatch reported in March 2021 that Harris, then of Sells, was accused of trying to prevent customers from using the drive-thru lane at a fast-food restaurant in Casa Grande and then fighting with police.
Harris was charged at that time with two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count each of resisting arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia and disorderly conduct, the Dispatch reported, citing Pinal County Superior Court records.
Then, in Pima County, Harris was found guilty June 2, 2021, in a plea agreement, of drug paraphernalia possession/use, Superior Court records show.
