Student arrested for arson
Houston Fire Department Public Information Officer Rick Flanagan said that Youngblood, a 19-year-old biochemistry major, was arrested Wed-nesday night at 7 p.m.
Youngblood is being held on $100,000 bail.
Senior Investigator Robert Kent said that Youngblood confessed to the crime.
According to Kent, the arrest was the result of an anonymous tip.
"[Rice's] police department received an anonymous call that Youngblood was responsible for the fire," Kent said.
The Campus Police met with him, and he was then taken to the Houston Arson Department's Offices, where he confessed to the crime.
The information that Youngblood gave the investigators was sufficient to prove to them that he was the arsonist. Kent affirmed that a flammable liquid was used but would not elaborate.
"[Youngblood] gave pretty specific details about the fire," Kent said.
As for a motive, he said that Youngblood allegedly burned the Pub because "he wasn't understood" and "the school didn't treat him like he should've been treated."
KTRH radio reported that Youngblood burned Willy's Pub because "he is poor and his classmates are rich."
Vice President for Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho said that he is not yet fully aware of the facts behind the case but that there may be a lesson to be learned.
"If any Rice student feels that other students are having deep personal problems which may result in either harm to themselves or to the university, then they should share their concerns with either their masters or people in the Counseling Center so that appropriate help can be provided to the student," he said.
Youngblood was born in Mexico and lived most recently in Killeen, in central Texas.
The fire caused over $2 million in damages to the Pub, the Campus Store, the Marching Owl Band hall and other parts of the Student Center.
Campus Police Chief Mary Vos-winkel refused to comment on the case.
The Rice University News Office released an official statement on Thursday acknowledging the arrest. In addition, it said that "Rice reserves the right to take independent disciplinary action, but since the facts of the case are not fully known at this time no action has been determined."
This item appeared in the News section of the September 29, 1995 issue.
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