OLYMPIA, Wash. --
Police arrested a 20-year-old transient Friday, accused of breaking into Olympia’s new City Hall, which is under construction, and setting it afire.
Police said someone poured a chemical accelerant and lit a stack of construction material in a spot where the Police Department's squad room will be.
Olympia detectives said they received information from Department of Corrections that the man, who is equipped with a GPS monitoring device because of his transient sex offender status, was in the area of City Hall during the time frames of the arsons.
Through the GPS system, investigators said they were able to place the man at the scene of the arson.
Construction workers who arrived at the job site Thursday morning found the damage and called 911.
Firefighters responded at about 5:30 a.m. and put the fire out within a few minutes, police said.
Investigators also found an expletive and "pigs" spray-painted on a wall.
Police said the amount of fire damage is "relatively small," but smoke was able to travel through the building.
Police said the man was booked on suspicion of arson and burglary.
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