Penn State University Police arrested a former Penn State student on Saturday in connection with an on-campus arson incident and vandalism to several Penn State buildings on March 27.

Craig Tonik, 19, of 131 N. Sparks St., was charged with starting a fire in the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) Building and allegedly spray painting the word "tang" on 10 campus buildings, police said.

Police also filed charges against Tonik in connection with other incidents of vandalism on April 4, which included the spray painting of Leonhard Building, Applied Science Building and the Earth and Engineering Building with a red "A" symbol. Police added that the "A" was an anarchy symbol.

University Police Officer Ben Hess said Tonik was a Penn State student at the University Park campus from fall 2003 through fall 2004.

Tonik was charged with 18 misdemeanor counts of institutional vandalism and 27 counts of criminal mischief in connection with the graffiti incidents.

He was arrested and arraigned before District Justice Allen Sinclair and committed to Centre County Prison in lieu of $875,000 bail.

Tonik was charged with three counts of arson, one count of causing or risking a catastrophe, one count of recklessly endangering another person, two counts of institutional vandalism, two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and two counts of criminal trespass in connection with the SALA Building fire, University Police Officer Donald Hazel said.

The opening of the SALA Building, scheduled for the fall, might be delayed as a result of the fire, Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said.

"There are some concerns about the time it's going to take to clean up. ... It could delay moving in students, faculty and staff," he said. "Losing a couple of weeks to this may put [the fall opening] in jeopardy."

Mahon said the initial damage estimate was $100,000, but after having contractors review the building, the damage is more extensive than previously thought.

"It caused a tremendous amount of damage," he said. "As we've added up the total and come to realize what it will take to clean it up, ... they're putting the estimate closer to $500,000."

Mahon said the police and fire departments effectively contained the fire.

"It was started in the middle of the night, when most people are asleep," Mahon said. "It could have burned longer."

He added that a serious case of arson is "very unusual" for the Penn State community.

"I don't recall an arson of this severity in my 20 years at Penn State," Mahon said.

Hess said it was not known whether a reward of up to $2,000, offered by Centre County Crime Stoppers for information about the arson was claimed.

Tonik's preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 13 at the Centre County Courthouse.