Maui police said they suspect that Monday night's fire at Central Maui Pre-School at 398 Kanaloa Ave. in Kahului was deliberately set.

In a news release yesterday, acting police Lt. Robert Stuhr said there was evidence of a burglary.

The 9:18 p.m. fire caused an estimated $300,000 damage to the building and $100,000 to its contents, Stuhr said.

No one was injured, and police have made no arrests.

25-YEAR-OLD FACES ASSAULT CHARGES

Prosecutors yesterday charged a 25-year-old man with attacking three people Sunday in Wai'anae.

Robert Rios III is accused of three counts of second-degree assault.

The victims of the alleged attacks are his mother, 44, his sister, 24, and a construction site security guard, 50.

Police said the two women were injured during an argument at Rios' mother's Ala Walua home, while the guard suffered minor injuries while trying to stop Rios.

MAN, 19, CHARGED IN 2005 INCIDENTS

Prosecutors yesterday charged an 'Ewa Beach man with attempted murder and first-degree robbery stemming from two 2005 incidents.

Shandon Kealoha Paulino, 19, was being held in lieu of $50,000 total bail.

The charges stem from the alleged stabbing of a male cab driver on March 19, 2005, at 12:50 a.m. on Pailani and Kuhina streets in 'Ewa Beach, and the robbery of a woman on Sept. 8, 2005, at 8:15 a.m. at a Papipi Drive residence, also in 'Ewa Beach, in which a gun was used.

Paulino was arrested yesterday at 11:15 a.m. at Circuit Court and charged about four hours later.

FUGITIVE FROM COLORADO HELD

Police yesterday arrested a fugitive wanted in Colorado for sexual exploitation of a child.

Officers from the Waikiki Crime Reduction Unit arrested Carlton A. Miller, 32, without incident at a Seaside Avenue hotel at 4:40 p.m.

Colorado authorities contacted police with information on Miller's whereabouts leading to his arrest. Law enforcement officers from Colorado are headed to Honolulu and will take him back to the Mainland, police said.

Miller is being held at the main police station cellblock.

$6M TO BUILD NEW CLASSROOMS

Gov. Linda Lingle has released $6 million to design and build temporary classroom buildings to help relieve crowding at seven public schools on the Big Island and O'ahu where enrollments are growing.

The money is expected to pay for six classrooms at Campbell High School; four at Farrington High School; and one each at 'Ewa Elementary School and Olomana School.

On the Big Island, the money will cover three new classrooms at Waikoloa Elementary School, and one each at Kealakehe and Holualoa elementary schools.

Design work is scheduled to begin next April. Construction is to begin in February 2009 and be completed in July 2009.

MAN ARRESTED AFTER KNIFE THREAT

A 21-year-old man was arrested at Aloha Tower Marketplace at about 5:30 a.m. yesterday after a security guard told police the man threatened him with a knife.

The guard told police he found the man rummaging through items aboard the Star of Honolulu, a tour boat that docks at Pier 8.