Overview

• Police arrested Blake Richard Hoover, 31, on Monday in connection with the Punta Gorda Chabad fire and booked him on arson and criminal mischief charges.
• Investigators reported a cut screen and use of an accelerant at a children's classroom and documented the letter "J" spray-painted on exterior surfaces.
• Family tips helped identify the suspect, leading to interviews and search warrants for his bedroom, vehicle, and electronic devices, authorities said.
• Fire crews contained the blaze to a single room with no injuries reported, and services for Rosh Hashanah are proceeding with increased police presence.
• Separate incidents the same day included a suspicious package at Chabad UC Santa Barbara that was cleared as harmless and a UCLA Chabad House stabbing deemed a roommate dispute with an arrest and no hate-crime finding.