Man charged with arson for allegedly lighting SUV on fire in Northeast Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS -- A 22-year-old man is facing charges for allegedly lighting an SUV on fire that belonged to woman with whom he had a relationship.
Kingston Sebastian Gaulden Jr., of Minneapolis, is charged in Hennepin County with one count of second-degree arson in connection to the Wednesday incident in Northeast Minneapolis. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
According to a criminal complaint, several people saw him drive on the 400 block of Harrison Street Northeast, where he parked the vehicle in the middle of the road, got out, lit something on fire, and threw it back into the vehicle.
Almost immediately, the vehicle burst into flames. Images posted on social media showed that the vehicle was a white Kia SUV, burning intensely in the middle of the road.
Investigators determined that combustible gas was all over the inside of the vehicle, which was totaled. The estimated loss is more than $15,000, the complaint states.
Not long after witnesses reported the fire, responding officers found Gaulden, who had walked away from the scene. They arrested him without incident and booked him into the Hennepin County Jail.
Investigators say that the vehicle belonged to a woman who was a "possible ex-partner" of Gaulden.