Authorities arrested a woman accused of starting a fire inside a DeKalb County dollar store last weekend, destroying the shop’s merchandise.
The arson suspect, whose name was not released, was taken into custody Friday by DeKalb fire marshals, department spokesman Capt. Dion Bentley said. The arrest was made one day after officials circulated the woman’s photo and announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to her capture.
According to the fire department, the woman walked into the Family Dollar on Covington Highway shortly before 7 p.m. on May 1 and began torching products on the store’s shelves.
**Update On Family Dollar Fire•• DCFR’s Fire Marshal’s office has placed a suspect in custody. Thanks for everyone's help. The woman’s name is not being released at this time.
Posted by Dekalb County Fire Rescue Department on Friday, May 7, 2021
“The fire caused complete inventory loss for the Family Dollar store and smoke damage to neighboring businesses,” Bentley said previously.
The incident was reportedly witnessed by several employees and customers who were inside shopping at the time.
The woman was also accused of shouting threats in the parking lot of the Hidden Hills Village shopping center, which includes a tax service, nail salon, beauty supply store and Caribbean farmers market.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reached out to investigators for the suspect’s name and charges.
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