Suspected Arson Causes Around $100K in Damages to St. Cloud Apartment

ST. CLOUD - Police have arrested a man who they believe intentionally started a fire in a Southeast St. Cloud apartment complex.

The incident happened at about 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday when St. Cloud Police were investigating an unrelated case in the parking lot of the 30-unit apartment complex at 1609 7th Street Southeast, St. Cloud.

An officer saw a suspicious man run from the east side of the apartment building. When they attempted to stop the man, he resisted and tried to run.

Officers were able to arrest the man and identified him as 26-year-old Samuel Davis of St. Cloud.

After Davis was arrested, officers saw smoke coming from the building and found the ground level apartment unit on the East side was on fire. Police evacuated the building and the St. Cloud Fire Department was called in.

The building had an estimated $100,000 in damage after the fire was put out. Two units above the apartment also had smoke and water damage. No one was hurt from the fire and the tenants in the apartment unit were not home at the time of the incident.

All occupants have been allowed to return to the building, except for those in the three damaged units. The residents of the two upper level units will most likely be able to return later in the day.

Both Police and Fire Departments believed the cause of the fire is arson and that Davis intentionally started it in the unit. Davis was taken to Benton County Jail to face charges of 1st degree arson and obstructing the legal process.

Davis is thought to have ties to the unit. Investigators are still wokring to establish possible motives and events leading up to the Arson.