Updated Dec. 17
San Francisco police have arrested a man in the suspected arson at SF Hillel on Dec. 5.
The fire, which caused “significant damage” to the building and forced its closure, started in outdoor garbage bins located along the side of the building, according to SF Hillel. The fire started while Hillel’s student life team was inside the building and preparing for the final Shabbat of the semester.
The San Francisco Police Department told J. on Wednesday that officers identified a man who was already in jail for an unrelated matter as the suspect.
Mitchell Hoyt, 36, of San Francisco was booked Tuesday for allegedly “causing a fire to an inhabited structure,” a felony, and “setting property on fire,” a misdemeanor.
Last year, a person with the same name was convicted in San Francisco of first-degree burglary for breaking into a home and stealing an electric scooter while the residents were inside.
SF Hillel said no one was harmed by the fire.
“The San Francisco Fire Department arrived quickly and extinguished the fire,” SF Hillel said in a Dec. 6 email to students and supporters. “The staff and students are safe and there are no injuries.”
As a result of the fire, a planned Hanukkah-themed Shabbat was canceled. The building remains closed until further notice. San Francisco State University is providing Hillel staff with a temporary work space.
Roger Feigelson, SF Hillel’s executive director, described the response of SFSU administrators as “amazingly supportive” in a email sent Tuesday announcing an arrest.
Hoyt’s arrest comes during a tense moment for Jews across the world, days after a deadly mass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia. In the Bay Area and across the United States, Jewish organizations have enhanced their security measures during public Hanukkah celebrations, as security experts called for heightened vigilance.
SFPD indicated a motive in the alleged arson isn’t clear.
“There is no probable cause to arrest Hoyt for a hate crime,” the SFPD said in a statement.
Randy Quezada, a spokesperson for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, told J. in a text message on Wednesday that the “case is under review” and added that a charging decision is due Thursday.
According to Feigelson, security cameras recorded a man trespassing on the property before the fire began. An image of a person of interest was shared in a “community safety bulletin” with Jewish organizations on Dec. 12.
The Hillel building, which is located a block from SFSU, is a two-story former home built in 1949 and has served as a Hillel house for all colleges and universities in the city since 1982.
Much is still unknown about the incident. “We’ve given all the evidence from our security cameras and footage to the police department,” Feigelson told J.
Hillel reported extensive damage to the basement and a second-floor bathroom, as well as the loss of most student programming materials, which were stored near the area of the fire. Smoke damage is pervasive throughout the building, and the plumbing system was also affected. SF Hillel confirmed that its Torah scrolls are safe and that an assessment is underway to determine whether they sustained smoke damage.
According to Hillel’s Dec. 6 email, the San Francisco State University Police Department increased surveillance of the building following the incident.
Feigelson told J. that the fire has created a “substantial and unexpected burden,” particularly as the organization is preparing for an upcoming multimillion dollar renovation.
Fire damage, smoke remediation and the presence of asbestos now require extensive cleanup and repairs before staff can safely re-enter the building to pack and relocate materials. While the renovation timeline itself is not expected to change, replacing damaged programming materials and completing necessary abatement work will require significant effort, Feigelson said.
The building previously has been targeted by criminal vandalism. Last December, the house was tagged with antisemitic messages. The word “Khaybar,” which refers to a historical battle between Arabs and Jews on the Arabian Peninsula, was spray-painted on the front of the building alongside communist and anarchist symbols. “Death to Western imperialism!” was also spray-painted on the garage. According to SF Hillel, the vandal or vandals also “attempted to forcefully enter” the building.