Crime & Safety
Man Charged With Arson Fire That Damaged San Francisco Hillel Building
Mitchell Hoyt is charged with arson of a structure, with an allegation of a prior strike conviction, prosecutors said.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Friday that a 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fire that damaged the building housing San Francisco Hillel, a Jewish student center.
Mitchell Hoyt is charged with arson of a structure, with an allegation of a prior strike conviction, prosecutors said.
According to court documents, police and fire personnel responded to a reported fire at Hillel House on Banbury Drive at about 1:55 p.m. on Dec. 5. Students were inside the building at the time.
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Investigators determined the fire started outside the west side of the structure, where recycling, compost and garbage containers were stored, before spreading to the building and causing an estimated $20,000 in damage.
Arson investigators identified Hoyt as a suspect through surveillance video, authorities said.
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The District Attorney's office said the case does not include hate crime allegations, citing insufficient evidence that the fire was set to target Jewish students.
The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the San Francisco Police Department tip line 1-415-575-4444.
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