Arizona man charged with setting fire to Surprise ICE building, authorities say
Photos courtesy of the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Arizona
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Charges were brought against a man accused of setting fire to a Surprise property belonging to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
What we know:
A May 20 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Arizona said Gabriel Mendoza-Acoltzi, 19, of Avondale, was reportedly caught on video arriving at the building's parking lot on Feb. 21 around midnight.
He was seen getting out of his car and placing a propane tank next to the building. Later on, around 1 a.m., he was reportedly seen swinging the propane tank at a window, breaking it, and "using a long torch connected to the tank to light the window shades inside the lobby on fire."
"Video from the scene also shows Mendoza-Acoltizi moving between the sidewalk and the rock landscaping at the ICE property. When responding to the incident, investigators observed a profane anti-ICE message spelled out with landscaping rocks on the sidewalk," the news release read.
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Attorney's Office District of Arizona
What's next:
He was arrested on May 7. He's accused of malicious damage to federal property and willful depredation against property of the United States. He's being detained pending further court proceedings.
"A conviction for Malicious Damage to Federal Property carries a penalty of five to 20 years in the Bureau of Prisons, up to a $250,000 fine, and one to three years of supervised release," the news release said.
Big picture view:
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said in April that she has filed a lawsuit to block the ICE facility from opening in Surprise. Mayes also claims the facility violates the Immigration and Nationality Act.
According to Mayes, the warehouse is in an area that is zoned for industrial use and is across the street from a facility that stores thousands of gallons of hazardous chemicals, posing "serious and unacceptable risks."
ICE released a statement responding to the legal challenge over the Surprise location.
"This isn’t about the environment. It’s about trying to stop President Trump from making America safe. Prior to purchasing this site, ICE carefully evaluated the use of existing facilities to help minimize environmental impacts."