WALNUT CREEK — A boy allegedly started a fire inside the men’s restroom of the public library here, causing significant damage and resulting in a police investigation, authorities said.
Police have not released the name or age of the boy suspected of walking into the men’s restroom and starting a fire a little after noon on May 7, but they say that he is well-known to police. Officers have previously contacted the youngster for multiple investigations related to either theft or other arsons, police said.
The boy was identified from surveillance camera footage, and was seen throwing a backpack containing a lighter into a bush, authorities said. The fire caused damage to the bathroom’s walls and paper dispensers, but the exact cost of repairs hasn’t been publicly released.
Strangely, this marks the second time in two months that the bathroom of the Walnut Creek library has been a felony crime scene. On April 11, a 27-year-old man named Marc Simon allegedly grabbed and inappropriately touched a 7-year-old boy during a roughly two-minute encounter inside the restroom. Simon was later charged with attempted kidnapping and child molestation and is in jail awaiting trial.