Avondale man indicted for allegedly setting fire to planned ICE detention center in Surprise

An Avondale man was indicted earlier this month for allegedly setting fire to a warehouse in Surprise that has plans to be turned into an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, officials announced.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona identified the man as 19-year-old Gabriel Mendoza-Acoltzi. He faces charges of malicious damage to federal property and willful depredation against property of the United States.

Mendoza-Acoltzi was taken into custody last week after U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Morrissey granted prosecutors’ request that he be detained pending further court proceedings.

If convicted of malicious damage to federal property, Mendoza-Acoltzi could face five to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one to three years of supervised release.

More details on the fire the Avondale man is accused of setting

On Feb. 21, a video camera showed Mendoza-Acoltzi’s Honda Civic entering the warehouse’s parking lot, which is located at 13290 W. Sweetwater Ave, around midnight, according to court documents. In the footage, he can allegedly be seen placing a propane tank next to the building after exiting his car.

Prosecutors said that Mendoza-Acoltzi proceeded to use the propane tank to break one of the building’s windows before using a torch attached to it to set the shades attached to the window on fire.

The footage is also said to show Mendoza-Acoltzi moving back and forth from a sidewalk and the property’s rock landscaping, which he is alleged to have use to spell out an anti-ICE message.

State and city are trying to stop ICE facility

Earlier this month, the city of Suprise sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security asking the agency to ensure its activities at the planned detention facility comply with state and local laws.

Residents have voiced their opposition to the federal government’s plan to convert the 418,000-square-foot warehouse into an ICE detention center capable of holding up to 1,500 people.

However, Surprise Mayor Kevin Sartor has said the city lacks legal grounds to stop the facility, which DHS purchased for $70 million in January.

In April, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes also sued DHS to block the project, arguing the agency skipped required environmental reviews and chose an unsafe industrial site.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s David Iversen contribute to this report. 

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