MATC downtown Milwaukee campus fire, feds charge man with arson

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Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) downtown campus

MILWAUKEE - Federal prosecutors charged a man with arson in connection with a fire set at Milwaukee Area Technical College's downtown campus on Tuesday, May 13.

In Court:

Court filings state Jarriel Cotton is charged with one count of arson of a building used in interstate commerce. He made his initial appearance in federal court on Friday. 

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What they're saying:

Prosecutors said Cotton set fire to an upholstered chair on the third floor of the MATC campus building near Lovell and State. It happened around 6:45 a.m. After setting the fire, he left – but returned around 4:30 p.m. that day and was ultimately taken into custody.

The fire was captured on surveillance video, and a criminal complaint said the flames reached up to 10 feet in the air. It set off the sprinkler system on the second and third floors of the building. 

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A restoration company estimated the cost to repair and clean the damage at between $150,000 and $200,000. 

Court filings said, because MATC's student body is composed of both in-state and out-of-state students, the downtown building is used in interstate commerce.

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Once in custody, a detective tried to conduct a Mirandized interview with Cotton. Court filings said he did not want to make a statement. 

Dig deeper:

Federal prosecutors said Cotton has a prior conviction in Milwaukee County Circuit Court for a 2015 arson. Court records show he was sentenced to four years' probation in the case in 2016.