Man arrested after setting Detroit gas station on fire
(CBS DETROIT) - A man who poured a trash can full of gas into a Detroit gas station and then set it on fire has been arrested, police said.
Arson 19300 block of W. Seven Mile.mp4ARRESTED 🚨 We have arrested the suspect in connection with setting a gas station on fire in the 19300 block of W. 7 Mile Rd. The gas station clerk was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for 1st-degree burns. Thank you to our community members for your continued support and the hardworking officers for keeping our city safe. This incident is actively being investigated. We will continue to work with the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office as it prosecutes this case. All suspects are presumed innocent pending further proceedings.
Posted by Detroit Police Department on Tuesday, June 20, 2023
The incident happened on Tuesday, June 20, at the Sunoco gas station in the 19300 block of W. 7 Mile Road.
There's a lot to this case," Detroit Police Chief James White said. "The motives are totally unclear. But I think we know that this person was not dealing with, you know, their normal state of cognition. I mean, there's something going on with that person."
Video footage from inside the gas station shows the suspect walking into the store and pouring a trash can full of gasoline onto the floor. The video then shows him talking to the clerk before setting the gas station on fire.
Police say the clerk was taken to a local hospital and was treated for first-degree burns.
"I don't know why somebody would do something like that," said customer Christa Frederick. "They're always good people. They're always good to everybody. They don't mistreat people up here. That's another reason why I like coming here."
Customers coming to see what the suspect did are floored.
"I know we need a little help in the world. But being that angry, you got to hurt more than just the person you were actually hurting, because now these people got to find somewhere else that's convenient," neighbor Deborah Wise said.
"It's sad. We're here to work, to support our customers, our community," store employee Renee Latham said. "You see them, they're around. They're waiting on us. But we have to wait."
The investigation is ongoing and is pending a prosecutor's review.