MIDVALE, Utah — Police have arrested a man who they say set an electrical box on fire outside an elementary school in the middle of the night, forcing the school to shift to remote learning for a day.
Parents and guardians of Midvalley Elementary students were told Monday that classes would be held remotely after a power outage at the school, which was caused by arson.
After the incident, school will be held in-person as usual on Tuesday.
According to an email sent to parents, the power outage happened early Monday morning when someone vandalized and damaged an electrical box on campus. The utility company was called in to restore power, but the repairs needed were extensive and the school was without heat.
Unified Fire was called to the school at 2:40 a.m. for a fire on a large utility box. Then later in the day around 3:45 p.m., the department announced that the suspect was identified and arrested by a multi-agency effort.
The suspect was later identified in court documents as 53-year-old Christopher Frances Mandarino. Police said he was seen on surveillance cameras trying to enter the school, but the door was locked. He then allegedly tried to pry open the electrical box, then left and came back with a can of some sort. They say Mandarino then lit the box and the ground around it on fire, leaving the metal can on top of the box.
Arresting officers said Mandarino resisted arrest once he was identified and found. He allegedly had a handgun in his pocket, which is illegal due to his status as a convicted felon. His 9-year-old daughter was in the car when he was taken into custody.
He is being held without bail.
