Authorities announced Wednesday an arrest in arson fire that destroyed much of the Democratic Party headquarters in Arizona and Maricopa counties.
Phoenix police said Matthew Egler, 29, was booked on a charge of arson of an occupied structure.
Accusing documents obtained by KPNX-TV in Phoenix, police said Egler has volunteered for the Maricopa County Democratic Party, but was banned for behavioral reasons. Investigators say the fire was retaliation after being recently volunteered again.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by today’s news, but we appreciate the police’s swift action to ensure the suspect is in custody,” state and county Democratic leaders said in a statement.
THE FIRE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF ARIZONA THE FIRE OF THE BUILDING WAS ARSON, THE POLICE SAY
A message left on a cell phone number listed for Egler’s family was not immediately answered. It was not immediately known if he had an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Police in the indictments also mention that Egler discussed the start of the fire and his “discontent” with county Democratic officials on a Twitter account.
FILE – A backup photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Phoenix shows Matthew Egler. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
A Twitter account with the identifier “Valley Leader” shows several videos of a man who coincides with a police photo of Egler published by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office talking about carrying out the fire. The man also claims to be married to Ivanka Trump.
The fire occurred early Friday morning in a business district a few miles north of downtown Phoenix. Investigators said the evidence indicated it was an arson act.
The building is home to many county and state Democrats. The northern part of the building, which houses operations for Maricopa County Democrats, was a total loss, said Steven Slugocki, county president. The damage was less extensive in the part of the state party building, he said.
The fire destroyed computers, tablets, telephone banking equipment, campaign literature and years of information on candidates and organization, Slugocki said. It also burned political memories accumulated over decades, including campaign materials for John F. Kennedy, he said.
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Arizona Republican Party leaders also condemned the fire.
