Five suspects were arrested by Northville Township Police following a fire at Legacy Park May 11.
Police and fire departments responded to a report of black smoke in the air at the Seven Mile Road location.
When they arrived at the scene, first responders discovered two buildings on the former site of the state psychiatric hospital fully engulfed in flames, according to police reports of the incident.
Five individuals who appeared to be attempting to flee the area were detained by police officers. Following a preliminary investigation and interviews, the five were taken into police custody and transported to the Northville Township Police Department. Following interviews of the suspects by members of the detective bureau, investigators determined the fires had been deliberately set.
Police have submitted their investigative results to the office of the Wayne County Prosecutor for review and pending charges.
The hospital was open from 1952 until 2003. In the years since it was closed, the property which is owned by Northville Township has become a mecca for urban adventurists and ghost-hunters.
After hundreds were arrested annually for trespassing, township officials established a zero-tolerance policy and regularly monitor social media sites for postings about the property.
