BROOKVILLE – State police have not released any information as of posting time, but Brookville Borough Police say they know who started a Jan. 23 fire at the Quality Inn in DuBois. They said the same man flooded the Super 8 Motel in Brookville before leaving to start the DuBois fire.
The story from Brookville police is that a 38-year-old St. Paul, Minn., man went to the Super 8 on Jan. 23. He attempted to use a credit card to pay for a room, but the card was denied. When the man was informed that the card was denied, he told the motel that he was in the area on business with a Minnesota-based bank, but he would be down to the motel desk to pay for his room in cash.
The bank was contacted, and officials there said the man had not been under the business’ employ since about June.
The man never went to the desk to pay, and a short time later, he was seen leaving the motel.
About two hours after the man left, Brookville Police were called to the motel for a report that the man’s room and the rooms of other people were flooding.
The officer reported that both the sink and bathtub were plugged, and the water was turned on at full force.
On Jan. 26, Brookville Police reported being notified by state police that the man believed to have flooded the Brookville motel is also a suspect in the arson at the Quality Inn on Jan. 23.
That fire began in a men’s bathroom at the motel, causing about $1 million in damage. State police have yet to release information on the cause of the Quality Inn fire.
Brookville police report that the man in question for both motel incidents is being held in New York state for three other arsons, burglary, credit card theft and other incidents that were said to have happened between Jan. 23-26.
