Arson charges filed in Historic Minnesota Building fire

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Prosecutors filed arson charges in Monday’s Historic Minnesota Building fire that caused an estimated $300,000 in damage.

According to court records, fire crews responded to a call around 4:20 a.m. on April 3 for possible arson on 4th Street East in St. Paul. Multiple fires were started in different parts of the building including the lobby, stairwell A, stairwell B, the basement level, and the third floor of the stairwell.

A woman was caught on security cameras setting multiple fires in the building, charges said. A resident in one of the units told authorities the woman came into their apartment and took several rolls of paper towels, which she allegedly used to start the fires.

The building sustained significant damage from the fire itself and water damage caused by the sprinkler system. The estimated damage is over $300,000 and both of the building's elevators will likely need to be replaced. 

Authorities arrested the woman outside the building. The clothes she was wearing while taken into custody matched the clothing on surveillance video, according to the complaint. 

Guadalupe Castillo, 37, was charged in Ramsey County court on Tuesday with two counts of first-degree arson. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance Wednesday morning.