Early Monday morning, someone kicked in the back door of a Gwinnett County carniceria, set a fire and fled.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames before they caused major damage, but investigators are still searching for whoever's responsible — for that blaze and two other recent fires at the same market.
Gwinnett County fire spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge said crews were dispatched to La Jalisco Super Carniceria, located at 472 Buford Drive in Lawrenceville, at about 12:30 a.m. Monday after a passerby reported seeing smoke and flames coming from the building. The fire was brought under control in less than 30 minutes but caused "moderate" damage and sent smoke throughout the business.
No one was at the market when firefighters arrived, but investigators later found evidence that the fire was intentionally set, Rutledge said. They have released few other details.
"This is the third suspicious fire occurrence at the store in recent weeks," Rutledge said in an emailed news release. "All the fires are believed to be connected. However, a motive in the case is unknown at this point."
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the the Gwinnett County Fire Investigations Section at 678-518-4890. Suspicious activity should be reported to the Lawrenceville Police Department by calling 911.
About the Author
