Detroit, Michigan – A Detroit man was caught on video Tuesday setting a convenience store on fire with the clerk trapped inside after the pair exchanged words, according to police.
The stunning surveillance footage shows the alleged arsonist enter the gas station’s convenience store June 20 at about 2:50 a.m., clutching a blue blowtorch in his right hand and dumping the contents of a trash bin on the floor.
Wearing a white T-shirt and shorts, the firebug can be seen speaking to the clerk, who is outside the frame, at the West Seven Mile Road gas station, the footage shows.
The suspect is seen pointing to the trash pile on the floor and says something to the clerk before bending down to light the refuse on fire with the blowtorch, as he stands with his back halfway out the door.
The man flees as a burst of red flames licks the ceiling and spreads through the room in less than two seconds, the video shows.
Fox News reports that the clerk was rushed to a local hospital, where he was treated for first-degree burns, according to a statement from the Detroit Police Department.
Officials announced Wednesday that they had arrested the suspect but he was not identified.
