Davis police cited a 9-year-old boy on arson charges after the child allegedly set several fires inside a Mace Ranch church.
Firefighters were summoned shortly after 9 a.m. to the University Covenant Church, 315 Mace Blvd., after a parishioner phoned in a report of smoke filling a room inside the building.
Crews arrived to discover that several spot fires had been set inside a prayer room, and they were quickly extinguished before causing any injuries or extensive damage, Davis police Lt. Tom Waltz said.
A subsequent investigation determined that the boy had been alone inside the room when the fires were set, Waltz said. Several burned matches were discovered at the scene, although it’s unclear how the boy got access to them, he added.
Officers cited the boy on a charge of arson of an inhabited dwelling and released him to his parents’ custody, Waltz said. He noted that his agency offers a diversion program for young offenders as an alternative to court proceedings.
“Kids that young we try to divert,” he said.