A St. Cloud man was arrested Wednesday after police say he set fire to books inside the Great River Regional Library, prompting an evacuation and closure of the building.
Jorge Ozornia, 47, is facing first-degree arson charges for the incident, which left the second floor of the library singed and destroyed literature.
St. Cloud and Stearns County authorities were dispatched to the library on 1300 W. St Germain Street around 1 p.m. Wednesday after an employee called 911 reporting a man lighting books on fire.
Police located the suspect, identified as Ozornia, near the entrance and took him in to custody. An employee working on the second floor saw Ozornia tearing pages out of a book and feeding a fire that was already burning the seat cushion of a chair, according to the charges.
Fire damage was contained to some furniture and books, and was quickly extinguished. Library staff evacuated the building during the incident and closed early for the day.
No injuries were reported.
Ozornia has a long rap sheet dating back to the mid-90s, with convictions for DWI, motor vehicle theft, disorderly conduct, assault and terroristic threats.
Liz Sawyer • 612-673-4648
