Wal-Mart Fire Started So Thieves Could Steal Beer
Posted: 12:10 pm EDT April 6, 2007Updated: 5:23 pm EDT April 6, 2007
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Fire investigators are trying to figure out who set fire to a local Wal-Mart, just to steal beer. The Fire Marshal's Office was at the scene, Friday afternoon, at the Wal-Mart neighborhood market on Clarcona Ocoee Road in Orange County.Of all the stories Eyewitness News has ever reported about shoplifting and crime at local stores, this one certainly is a strange one. It involves lighter fluid, popcorn and stolen beer. Investigators are relying on surveillance cameras so they can catch the culprits.Friday afternoon, the State Fire Marshal's Office was inside the Wal-Mart, combing over five full compact discs of surveillance video from inside the store Thursday night. Shoppers were dumbfounded about what had taken place in the snack aisle, less than 12 hours before."It's horrible, because I live right down the street," said shopper Christian Dentley.
According to store employees, someone used lighter fluid to set fire to the popcorn section of the neighborhood store. Then, as store personnel ran to see the commotion, their accomplice ducked out the back door with beer."It's very amazing someone would try to catch a building on fire for beer, but that is the way it is in Orange County," said shopper Marsha Farrell.Because the store is heavily-equipped with dozens and dozens of surveillance cameras, it's believed that they have some good images of the fire starters, even pictures of the suspects as they left the store, got in their car and drove off."The police need to do something about it," Farrell said.Investigators said they do intend to do something about it, after they've had a chance to log hours and hours of video and find the people who took a beer run to the extreme."Stealing beer, what people will do to steal beer. Wow, it's incredible," Dentley said.Eyewitness News tried to get a look at the video, but investigators said there is just way too much for them to go through right now to turn it over to the media.
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