On Sept. 14, a University of New Mexico Police Department officer was dispatched to The Pit basketball arena at South Campus in reference to a fire.
According to the police report for the incident, the responding officer saw a “large and growing larger fire” in two parts of the loading dock area.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue responded and put the fire out. While AFR was working on the first fire, UNMPD found a second fire inside a small metal trash can, which AFR then extinguished.
Six trash bins were damaged. The surrounding wall structure was blackened, and the incident is listed in the police report as “arson over $1,000.”
The building manager for The Pit showed UNMPD video footage of two men “acting in a suspicious manner” in the loading dock area, according to the police report.
The areas where the fires ignited were blind spots for the security cameras. The case is listed as “closed” in the UNMPD daily crime log.
Lauren Lifke is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on X @lauren_lifke
Lauren Lifke is the managing editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at managingeditor@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @lauren_lifke
