Sophomore Ben Bookbinder has confessed to being the Purchase Serial Arsonist, said Police and Purchase's Fire Chief, after being arrested and accused by UPD of setting three fires on campus.
Purchase Volunteer Fire Chief Joseph Brefere said that all three fires, one in the VA building, one in the Dining Hall and the final in Campus Center South, were all started, as previously reported, by lighting paper on fire and dropping it down an elevator shaft. "Some paper was from school bulletin boards and other paper was taken from cleaning supplies," said Brefere.
Brefere also confirmed that all fires were set at 3 a.m. and that UPD caught Bookbinder setting the VA building fire on surveilance tape. Upon being arrested and shown the evidence, Bookbinder confessed. "He clearly has some issues with his mind," said Brefere. "But he has given a verbal and written admittance of lighting all the fires."
Bookbinder has been removed from campus and will likely face criminal arson charges.
Those who know Bookbinder had mixed feelings about his confession.
“I am rather shocked," said sophomore Doug Cala, a friend of Bookbinder's. "He doesn’t seem like the kind of kid that would be motivated to strike out in such a drastic way. I never suspected that he would have the capability to do this. And more importantly, I am rather confused as to his motives. I might say maybe he might feel misunderstood on this campus, but I don’t view him as the kind of person that would actually do that.”
Junior Peter Foy was Bookbinder's neighbor in Outback.
“To be honest, I wasn’t all that shocked by it," said Foy. "I know Bookbinder. I know that he has a tendency to do dorky things. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything bad by it. He always likes to do weird things, only in this case it was dangerous and damaging property. It wasn’t him trying to be a menace to society; it was him just being a dork.”
PSGA President Joe Matoske, who initially hoped Bookbinder's arrest was a case of being in the "wrong place at the wrong time," was particularly disturbed as to why such a beloved member of the student body would act out so dangerously. "It was an unfortunate incident," said Matoske. "Ben was a student who was greatly adored and admired so I think it was hard for everyone to hear what happen, especially since the VA and CCS are home to student work. I hope Ben will realize the severity of his actions."
With additional reporting by Kyle Parker.
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