$5,000 Reward Offered to Identify St. Paul Arsonist

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is now offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the positive identification, arrest and conviction of a man responsible for setting fire to a neighborhood school and several St. Paul businesses during the recent unrest.

ATF is working alongside the St. Paul Fire Department, St. Paul Police Department, Minnesota State Fire Marshal Division, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on this case.

“This individual was seen at multiple locations igniting fires in our community, to include at the Gordon Parks High School that serves disadvantaged youth,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jon Ortiz, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “We’re hoping the reward money will help convince those who may know the suspect to come forward with information. He may or may not be from the Twin Cities area.”

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of this individual is asked to contact ATF. Call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), email ATFTips@atf.gov or submit information anonymously via www.ReportIt.com or the Report It mobile app, available on Google Play or Apple Apps Store. When using Report It, select “ATF – St. Paul Field Division” as the reporting agency. Provide as much information as you can relating to the identity and whereabouts of this individual. Information can be submitted anonymously, but if a reward is sought, be sure to include contact information. Information eligible for reward must lead to the arrest and conviction of this individual.

Two ATF National Response Teams were activated locally in response to the unrest that occurred in the Twin Cities. This is the third and fourth ATF National Response Team activation to the State of Minnesota this year. The team responded to the Press Bar and Parlor fire in St. Cloud in January and a behavioral health clinic in Grand Rapids in February. Prior to that, the NRT had not been in Minnesota since 2004. This is the 13th NRT callout for this fiscal year and the 860th callout since the inception of the program.

ATF developed the NRT to bring its expertise to local, state and federal investigators in meeting the challenges faced at the scenes of significant explosions or fire incidents at no cost to the state or locals. The NRT can respond within 24 hours to assist state and local law enforcement/fire service personnel in large-scale fire investigations.

ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating fires and crimes of arson. For more information about ATF, go to www.atf.gov or follow @ATFHQ on Twitter. Follow @ATFStPaul on Twitter for updates regarding the two activations in the Twin Cities.

Below are photos of the arson suspect. Please check the ATF St. Paul Twitter account for the video footage.