NEWS
Man charged with trespassing after fire at St. Catherine's Indian School
Anthony Dault, 35, was spotted near the Santa Fe school before Thursday's blaze, police said
A homeless man who was seen near St. Catherine鈥檚 Indian School in Santa Fe shortly before it went up in flames Thursday afternoon has been jailed for trespassing, police said.
Santa Fe Police Deputy Chief Ben Valdez said Anthony Dault, 35, is charged with criminal trespass. Dault has not been charged with starting the fire.
The Santa Fe Police Department took him into custody Thursday afternoon after he was spotted by neighbors walking around naked before the blaze ignited.
Valdez said SFPD obtained a search warrant Friday morning to collect swabs from Dault鈥檚 arms and hands to test for accelerants. He said they will also test clothing given to Dault by a neighbor.
鈥淥nce we get that information, we will determine if additional charges are warranted,鈥� Valdez said. No charging documents were available Friday.
Court records show that Dault, originally from Alabama, listed a homeless shelter in Santa Fe as his current address.
The fire was reported about 3:45 p.m. Thursday, and dozens of firefighters fought the blaze as neighbors gathered outside their homes to watch.
Firefighters were still in the area Friday as flare-ups were reported and smoke could seen coming from the building.
The former boarding school had been closed since 1998 and is now owned by the city of Santa Fe. The school consists of 19 buildings on the northwest side, adjacent to Rosario Chapel and Cemetery, according to the Historic Santa Fe Foundation.
Karmina Conde is a news reporter for the Journal. You can reach her at kconderuiz@abqjournal.com
