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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Standing guard ... City gears up for hearings on future growth ... Medford School District on the hunt for teachers ... Standing guard ... City gears up for hearings on future growth ... Medford School District on the hunt for teachers ... CRIME Police arrest Jackson Elementary arson suspect Comment By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 6:29 PM By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 6:29 PM » Social News Medford police Wednesday arrested a homeless man suspected of lighting a fire Jan. 14 outside the La Clinica building at Jackson Elementary School. Michael Gint Johnson, 43, is being held in the Jackson County jail on charges of first-degree arson and second-degree theft. His bail is set at more than $1 million. First-degree arson is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 7½ years under Oregon's Measure 11 sentencing law. Police say Johnson also was caught on video Jan. 15 swiping an iPhone 4 from the front desk of the Cedar Lodge Motel on Riverside Avenue. The night before, Medford School District surveillance cameras captured a less clear video of a man entering the Jackson Elementary campus at about 10:26 p.m. and attempting to light a piece of clothing on fire near La Clinica's stand-alone health center adjacent to the school’s cafeteria. When the fire burned out, the suspect repositioned the clothing and lit it again. He also attempted unsuccessfully to break a cafeteria window with a rock. Officers identified the cell phone theft suspect as Johnson and also noticed his resemblance to the suspect in the school arson, said Medford police Chief Tim George. At 11:36 a.m. Wednesday officers responded to a disturbance involving a man and woman in Liberty Park at the corner of North Bartlett and Maple streets. When police arrived, the man was no longer on the scene but was identified by the woman as Johnson, said Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau. Police located Johnson roughly 15 minutes later a few blocks away and took him into custody for his involvement in the phone theft. Detectives later interviewed him and determined he also was involved in the Jackson Elementary arson. “At this point, we haven’t found a connection between (Johnson) and the school,” George said. “We have identified some motivating factors, but we aren't going to discuss those at this time. Those are for downstream, for trial time.” The investigation revealed that Johnson was living in the 700 block of West Jackson Street at the time of the fire and was “acting out emotionally from a recent event in his life,” Budreau said. Because the fire was still active Jan. 15 when students and faculty were arriving at school, it is considered a serious threat to those individuals and, therefore, a Measure 11 crime. Reach reporter Teresa Thomas at 541-776-4497 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/teresathomas_mt. By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Teresa Thomas Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 6:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501