ASU police are looking for a person or persons suspected of committing criminal damage and disorderly conduct early Sunday morning in Manzanita Hall on the Tempe campus, ASU Police Cmdr. Jim Hardina said Monday afternoon.
Tempe police were the first on the scene of a reported fire started on the residence hall’s 11th floor just after 2:35 a.m., Hardina said.
After dozens of fire trucks were deployed from the Gilbert, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler police departments, it was determined that the incident was a false alarm.
Students told police that someone sprayed a fire extinguisher in a stairwell, leading other students to believe there was a fire and call 911, Hardina said.
All residents in the building — of whom there are more than 600 — were evacuated from the building.
A female student had an asthma attack and had to be carried out of the building by a friend and was transported to the hospital, Hardina said.
Because of this, the responsible person or persons could be charged with aggravated assault, Hardina said.
ASU officers didn’t clear the scene until after 7 a.m. Police don’t have any leads at this time.
ASU Police asks that anyone with knowledge about the incident call 480-965-4356.
—Tessa Muggeridge
