Police arrested one suspect and are searching for another following flooding early Saturday at the T Lofts Apartments that forced out residents of 21 units.

Around 1:40 a.m. Saturday, two young male non-residents allegedly turned on the fire standpipe in a stairwell between the third and second floors, activating the sprinkler system which flooded multiple apartments on the first and second floors, said Danielle Paulus, Roers Property Management director.

Fargo Police arrested 18-year-old Daniel Schoonover of Fargo early Sunday on a charge of criminal mischief in connection to the flooding, Deputy Chief Joe Anderson said in an email Tuesday. He was later released.

A Daniel Schoonover is listed in the North Dakota State Directory as a freshman majoring in electrical engineering. It also lists him as an employee, working for grounds and maintenance.

“Additional suspects are being sought at this time,” Paulus said Monday.

T Lofts has security footage of the suspects entering and fleeing the building, she added.

Damage costs are not yet known, she said, though all affected residents have been recommended to file a renters insurance claim. T Lofts residents must have a renters insurance policy as a provision to their lease.

‘Could kick water’ 

First floor resident Cody Sehn, a senior in marketing, said he and his roommate weren’t at home early Saturday morning, but they “came back (and) water was on the floor. Everything was soaking wet.”

Sehn said his roommate lost two laptops, a PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox 360.

“You could push, you could kick water in the room,” Sehn said. “Rugs, when you pick ’em up and move ’em, water would run off of ’em. … The rooms were soaking wet.”

Sehn spent Sunday night at a friend’s house and will spend the foreseeable future at the La Quinta Inn & Suites. He added he and his roommate will “store all (their) stuff” in a 30-foot trailer for the time being.

‘Water rushing everywhere’ 

Second floor residents Kayla Koehmstedt and Rachel Schmaltz just lost some boots to the water, they said.

Koehmstedt, a senior in marketing, said fire alarms awoke her during the night and she made her way outside.

“I opened the door to go outside (and) there was water rushing everywhere,” Koehmstedt said. “When we came back in the building, (firefighters) were squeegeeing out our apartment, and there was water up to a couple inches in here.”

While the women lost few possessions, their apartment will be gutted.

“They have to rip out all our flooring, all our cupboards, our bathrooms,” Koehmstedt, adding she and Schmaltz will live in a hotel or with friends for now.

The Rugby, N.D., natives said they don’t know where they’ll be after that.

“We have no idea. We don’t know how long it will take,” Koehmstedt said. “They really couldn’t tell us. They don’t know how long it will take. They have to order new everything.”

Schmaltz said she heard damages “will go over $100,000 for sure, at least.”

Koehmstedt added they “just signed a new lease to go into next year.” The women have lived in the T Lofts since May 2014.

“We hope it gets taken care of soon because we’re going on spring break and I don’t want to come back to this,” Koehmstedt said.

Paulus said T Lofts staff “has continually tried to keep residents in the loop of next steps and what will happen. This is unfortunate situation (sic) for all but we will work through it as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The T Lofts house 181 units.