UAPD drops arson case

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona Daily Wildcat File Photo Two former Alpha Tau Omega members will not be indicted on arson charges for the July fire that caused $850,000 in damage to the fraternity house on 1050 N. Cherry Ave.

The University of Arizona Police Department submitted arson evidence to Deputy County Attorney Bill Dickinson, who was unavailable for comment Friday afternoon.

"The investigation is over now," said UAPD Cmdr. Brian Seastone. " It's pretty much a dead issue."

The attorney's office did, however, hand down indictments on theft and burglary charges to two investigative leads in the July fire that caused $850,000 in damage.

Brian D. Ross and Jeffrey Kantor will be arraigned Wednesday in Pima County Superior Court.

Ross, a 22-year-old former ATO member, faces charges of theft and burglary for taking the hand-carved ATO front door, according to the court records. He was also charged with possession of marijuana, possession of dangerous drugs, (psilocin mushrooms) and drug paraphernalia stemming from a July UAPD search of his home.

Ross is currently attending school in South Carolina, and said yesterday he was unaware of the charges. He refused further comment.

Kantor, 20, also a former ATO member, was charged with burglary and theft for allegedly taking photographs of former ATO members from the fraternity house before the blaze occurred.

"It was pretty shocking," said Kantor, of the charges he had received.

Seastone said he doubts there will be further charges handed down in the arson case for Ross or Kanter.

The Delta Tau Delta fraternity was set to move into the former ATO house before it burned.

Check out past Wildcat articles about the investigation into the ATO fire:

	UAPD continues search for fraternity house arson suspect (Oct. 5, 1998)
	Frat house arson remains unresolved (Dec. 9, 1998)