Man Charged In Torching of Grand Forks Restaurant

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota authorities have charged a Minnesota man with felony arson in a fire that heavily damaged a Somali restaurant in Grand Forks.

Police say 25-year-old Matthew Gust of East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was arrested in Minnesota's Polk County late Monday. Police did not immediately release further details or discuss a possible motive.

The fire early on Dec. 7 caused an estimated $90,000 in damage to the Juba Coffee House. It happened three days after vandals spray-painted an offensive symbol on the business along with the words "go home," but police haven't said if the two incidents are connected.

Court documents don't list an attorney for Gust, and calls to the jail early Tuesday didn't go through. The charge against him carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.