BURKET – Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Dept. deputies arrested three individuals overnight on arson charges after a Wednesday night fire at the Burket Educational Center.
The Burket Fire Department responded to an 8:06 p.m. 911 call of a fire at the Burket alternative school along CR 700W in Burket.
The fire was quickly extinguished and firemen immediately called the KCSD to investigate the scene due to suspicious nature near a garage attached to the gymnasium.
KCSD and School Resource Officer John Hart arrived with deputies and viewed outside surveillance cameras. Hart immediately identified one of the individuals as a Tippecanoe Valley High School student living in Mentone.
Officers located the 17-year-old male juvenile and transported him to the sheriff’s department while other officers located a second suspect, Jon Kevin Rightsell, 23, of 502 N. Franklin St., Mentone.
Rightsell was found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Marshall County and was transported to the KCSD.
While being interviewed, Rightsell provided information regarding the fire at Burket. A third 17-year-old male was implicated in the Burket school fire and was transported to the sheriff’s department.
Hart preliminarily charged all three males with felony arson and had deputies transport both juveniles to the Pierceton Woods – Life Line Juvenile Center.
Along with the active Marshall County warrant, Rightsell is being held at the Kosciusko County Jail on a $5,000 bond by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor’s Office.
