A student was charged with arson last week after being arrested while riding on his bike with a gas can.
Kevin Bompika Ekofo, 26, a student at the University of Houston, allegedly started a fire in his dorm room, causing damage to several nearby rooms and the adjoining hallways.
After starting this first fire, Ekofo left the building and attempted to ignite the nearby campus convenience store, where he was apprehended.
Ekofo allegedly started the fires “because he wanted to and because he could,” according to court documents.
Thankfully, the dorm’s fire suppression systems prevented widespread damage, but roughly 60 out of 293 students had to be moved to emergency housing. No one was injured by either blaze.
Captain Bret Collier of the University of Houston Police Department explained, “The water damage is the most extensive aspect of it … That’s always going to be true in a building. The actual fire damage will be more contained.”
Prosecutors asked the judge to set Ekofo’s bond at $100,000, claiming that he continues to be a potential threat to the safety of other students. He is currently being held at the Harris County Jail.
According to court documents, Okofo requested to be provided with a lawyer but had not been assigned one by the court as of early Tuesday afternoon.
The court scheduled Ekofo’s next hearing for August 22.
For students, however, the fire caused considerable turmoil just as the semester began. Sai Ke, a post-graduate student who had lived in the affected dorm for the last four years, explained that the remaining water forced him to move to emergency housing.
“I’d like to be back and resume my normal life as soon as possible, he stated.
As of Wednesday, the University of Houston has not announced any additional disciplinary actions against Ekofo.
Arson in Texas is punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and jail time ranging from two years to life.