An 18-year-old college student has been charged with arson over a fire that caused more than $25,000 worth of damage to a synagogue in Austin, Texas, federal officials announced Monday.
The student, Franklin Barret Sechriest, was arrested on November 12 and remains in custody at Travis County Jail, according to CBS Austin. Sechriest, a student at Texas State University, is accused of setting the fire outside the Congregation Beth Israel on October 31.
Investigators examined the scene and spoke with witnesses before determining the fire was intentionally set and ruling it an act of arson, according to a criminal complaint.
