19-year-old arrested after allegedly starting 3 fires in Gloucester County

WOODBURY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- Police in Gloucester County announced the arrest of a 19-year-old on Monday who allegedly set three fires this month.

Officers say Michael Lopez-Medina from Woodbury, New Jersey started his spree on February 1.

In that incident, investigators say Lopez-Medina set a vehicle on fire, which spread to another car on Salem Avenue.

Then on February 3, a stand-alone shed at the Carriage House Apartments was set on fire.

During that case, police say the suspect was caught on surveillance cameras setting the fire and spray painting the words "let's play" on the ground.

Finally, on February 7, the Sketch Club building went up in flames.

The burned-out remnants of the historic building on Glover Street were torn down on Monday after the fire tore through it.

It used to be the home of the Sketch Club Players, a local theater group, and it was a school before that.

"I know when I was a kid, I saw skits and plays here, a lot of kids would come to see it," said Kelly Eill, who lives next to the former Sketch Club building. "It's really sad this had to go. Why someone would want to do something like that, or any kind of arson, is beyond me."

Police say graffiti was found at that scene too.

Over the weekend, police say Lopez-Medina confessed to all three fires and was arrested.

Investigators say he was using gasoline and matches to light the blazes.

Woodbury Police Chief Thomas Ryan credits the hard work of local law enforcement for helping arrest the suspect.

"Detectives and our officers going out and running down video tirelessly, put things together, put timelines together in order to put all the pieces together," said Ryan.

The fear, he says, was that the arsons would continue.

"We were just worried about escalation," said Ryan. "As you saw, it was going from a vehicle to a large-sized building."

"There was that definite threat of it escalating and someone, whether intentional or unintentional, being seriously harmed or killed," he added.

Lopez-Medina is charged with three counts of arson and aggravated assault due to a firefighter being injured on the scene of the Sketch Club fire.

He's in the Salem County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing.