A 29-year-old Lethbridge man has been charged with arson in connection with the February fire that destroyed the former site of The Lethbridge Hotel.
The Feb. 24 blaze engulfed the historic, but vacant, building at the corner of Fifth Street and Second Avenue South and the subsequent investigation determined the fire had been deliberately set.
Michael Big Swan was arrested April 6 and remained in custody ahead of his scheduled April 12 court appearance. In addition to the arson charge, Lethbridge Police Service officials confirm Big Swan faces a shopbreaking offence.
According to police, there is no evidence that confirms the Lethbridge Hotel fire is connected to January's Bow on Tong building fire that was considered suspicious. A suspect was identified in the Bow on Tong fire but officials say the investigation has concluded as there wasn't enough evidence to support criminal charges.
