Josh Lowe, a 17-year-old senior and a former member of the Matanzas High School football team, was charged with felony arson today at the school when he was connected with a fire that started in a bathroom in the middle of the afternoon on Tuesday. He was arrested on Thursday.
According to a police report, Lowe was seen on video surveillance entering the boys’ bathroom in the cafeteria at 3:42 p.m. He was seen leaving the bathroom at 3:44. Four minutes later, the sprinkler system went off. In the interim, no one was seen entering or leaving the bathroom.
The cafeteria was occupied by approximately 50 students at the time of the fire, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office’s arrest report states. Nobody was injured. School dismisses at 2 p.m., but after-school activities take place in the afternoon. The Palm Coast Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire.
The fire, the report states, is believed to have been started in the toilet-paper dispenser. It damaged the dispenser, the stall wall divider that runs to the ceiling, a toilet seat and the ceiling, causing about $1,000 in damages. The sprinkler system went off in the cafeteria as well, drenching floors, tables and wares and requiring clean-up there as well.
Anonymous says
Oh no, a fire-setter. Not healthy behavior. Hopefully his parents get him some psychological help, before other behaviors emerge.
Jennifer says
OMG Really, Hes a teenage kid! They all do stupid stuff.
Yea ANONYMOUS lets put him on some freaky pills and put him on a psychological list!
Yea ANONYMOUS lets welcome him into the society of freaks and put him on some anti psycotic medicine for one stupid prank! Welcome to the cycle !!!!!!
blondee says
Restitution and expulsion sounds good to me! Not to mention this fool didn’t think ahead and now will have a felony on his record. Good luck getting a job Josh!
Alex says
I think the parents will do whatever it takes to help their son. An sometimes kids just do stupid things without thinking about the consequences…..
knowsalittle says
Really Jennifer, a stupid prank. Toilet paper a house is a prank. This guy set a fire in a school. That is not a prank, that is a felony. Maybe this was his way of asking for help and he does need psychological help. Starting a fire is not normal teenage behavior.
emile says
Perhaps starting a small fire outdoors could be considered a stupid prank. Starting a fire INDOORS right next to the cafeteria occupied by 50 students is a felony.
stupid prank says
hes 17 , depending on how close to his 18th he is he will only get a slap on the wrist…. pay his restitution , court fees , probation fees , drug test , anger management class etc , welcome to the system kid , dont worry it will be expunged when you’re done … kind of .. I would say football scholarship is thrown out the window but he plays for matanzas so lol
Glink says
Hey soccer moms, the kid wasn’t trying to start a fire, he was just smoking a blunt and threw it in the trash. lay off.