NEWS

March 1st arson still under investigation

Police investigate student's possible role in fire

by Hanna Miller and Abby Person

The Oberlin Police Department is continuing to investigate the arson fire which claimed two lives at 21 Morgan Street last month. An Oberlin student has emerged as a suspect.

"We're aggressively looking into the fires," Detective David Jasinski said. "We've brought in hundreds of people. Well, not hundreds, but 25."

A first-year student is one of those people. He staunchly maintained he is not responsible for the tragic fire.

"I didn't set the fire," the student said. "I've never started a fire."

According to Jasinski, the police department is investigating two dorm fires that occurred prior to the arson. One was a trash can fire in North Hall. A bulletin board fire also erupted in Burton Hall in late February.

The student said the Department of Safety and Security traced him using the building's OneCard reader. After it was established that the student had visited Burton that night, Jasinski questioned him.

The student said he was in the building for five to 20 minutes before the alarm sounded.

"He was basically harassing me with charges," the student said. "They had nothing on me."

The student said Jasinski called him about once a week during March. "They've spoken with me four or five times," he said.

"They mentioned the Morgan Street fire," the student said. "I got the feeling they wanted to arrest someone. They said they were trying to find a connection between all the fires. They didn't seem like sharp detectives."

The student claims he was nowhere near Morgan Street the night of March 1.

"We're looking out for your protection," Jasinski said. "It's an on-going investigation."

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Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 22, April 24, 1998

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