(nbcbayarea.com) - Someone sprayed a rack of Halloween costumes with lighter fluid and set them on fire inside a Bay Area Walmart store on Tuesday afternoon, police said, forcing the store to close and customers to evacuate while authorities investigated.
The suspect took the lighter fluid from a store shelf before using it to douse the Halloween section before starting the fire, police said. Frightened witnesses called 911.
The suspect, a 40-year-old man police believe is from Oakland, was arrested on suspicion of arson after the fire was set inside the store at about 1:30 p.m., San Leandro police Lt. Robert McManus said.
Store security managed to apprehend the suspect before police arrived, Lt. McManus said.
The store, at 15555 Hesperian Blvd., has since been closed while San Leandro police and Alameda County firefighters investigate. According to McManus, there is still a strong odor from the fire at the store.
“We are still reviewing surveillance video from the store, interviewing witnesses and evaluating evidence, hoping to piece this incident together,” Lt. McManus said. “Although we don’t know how many customers and employees were in the store when the fire started, we do know that it was a very dangerous situation that placed others in danger." (Full Story)
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