Man arrested in connection to downtown fire

STEVENS POINT—Jacob Turner, 23, was arrested in connection to a fire that occurred in an apartment above Graffiti’s Sports Pub. 

On Oct. 9, a fire was reported in an apartment at a multi-story structure on 920 Main Street. Tenants of the apartment were evacuated while nearby streets were shut down as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. One tenant received medical treatment, while two other tenants received assistance from the Red Cross after being displaced from the fire. 

Later in the day, detectives from the Stevens Point Police Department arrested Jacob Turner for starting the fire at 920 Main Street. He was taken to Portage County Jail and booked on a charge of arson. In a press release, the police department confirmed Turner lived in the apartment the fire was started in. 

Graffiti’s Sports Pub remains open for business as of Oct. 10, despite initial uncertainty if they would be able to open their restaurant following the fire upstairs. The restaurant and bar announced on a social media post on Oct. 10 that they would be open as usual. In their post, Graffiti’s wrote, “Thank you to the Stevens Point Fire Department, Stevens Point Police Department, and all the first responders for their fast action yesterday containing the fire and making sure everyone was safe. We also want to thank our staff for the amazing call to action helping us clean the entire building and making it possible for us to open again in such a short time.” 

Turner will appear in Portage County court on Oct. 13.