Article Preview: Police arrest Jackson Elementary arson suspect - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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2015-02-22

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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation  |  Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Missing teen possibly seen in Florida 'Wisdom of Wit' shines light on finding meaning in dying Stepmother of missing boy Kyron Horman leaves Eugene job Medford Parks seeks umpires to step up to the plate Grace to assume school governance Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Missing teen possibly seen in Florida Ashland man's killer sentenced to 25 years to life Emergency services, Feb. 21 Two-house fire caused by towel left on stove Man charged with trying to lure children Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. 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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 @ 6:29 pm » Comment or view comments   /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ »  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. 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 Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs 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. 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