Police arrested a man they believe set fire to the Arizona Democratic Party headquarters in downtown Phoenix last week, officials said Wednesday.
The fire, which police said was sparked by Matthew Egler, 29, occurred Friday morning near Central Avenue and Thomas Road, causing “substantial damage to the building,” Phoenix police said in a statement Wednesday.
In a tweet announcing the arrest of the arson suspect, Phoenix police released surveillance video of the flames that broke out in the building and a man quietly walking away from the fire, briefly stopping to turn around and watch the fire. , before getting into a parked car.
It was not immediately clear if Egler had hired a lawyer or when his first appearance in court would be.
Arizona has been reliably red for decades, having voted for only two Democratic presidential nominees: Bill Clinton in 1996 and Harry S. Truman in 1948, since Franklin D. Roosevelt left office.
But this November, Arizona will be a crucial state for control of the White House and the United States Senate. President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are in a close race for the state’s 11 electoral votes, while Senator Martha McSally is in tough competition against Democratic nominee Mark Kelly.
