LACROSSE, Wis. – Police arrested a Viterbo University student who was caught on surveillance tape in a dorm lounge where a fire had been started. Victoria C. Unanka was charged with arson and negligent handling of burning materials. Firefighters were called to the Marian dorm by a campus security officer shortly before 2:30 a.m. The fire, on the second floor, was put out quickly with a fire extinguisher. but there was smoke damage and the building needed to be ventilated. There was minor damage to a wall and a small area of carpet. The fire didn’t activate the sprinkler system.
Link to hateful slurs?
Unanka lives in the Marian dorm. In March she reported two instances of racist and homophobic scribblings on the door to her room. The culprit was never identified, but the university installed new security cameras. One of those cameras, police said, placed Unanka in the dorm lounge where the fire broke out Sunday. Police said it was Unanka who claimed to have spotted the fire and woke up other students to get out.
Marian Hall. The three-story dorm houses 90 students.